Katsurou: The story of a Soul Reaper
by KageRaion
Summary: A young boy is found in the worse parts of Rukongai by Jushiro Ukitake. The man decides to take care of the boy and raise him as his son. This is the story about Katsurou Ukitake as he goes from a shy young boy to a strong and skilled Soul Reaper.
1. Chapter 1: The son of a captain

_**The Soul Society. This is were the spirits of people who have passed away comes after they've died.**_

 _ **Rukongai or the Rukon district is were all these souls live after their deaths. Here, complete strangers can live together as families. But a young boy wasn't that lucky. He lived all alone and did his best to survive in the poor district he lived in.**_

 _ **But what the boy didn't know was that his life soon would change.**_

It was a rainy day and the young boy sat under a small roof in an alley to hide from the rain. He looked at all the people walking inside their houses to take shelter from the bad weather. It was then, two people that he had never seen in the district before walked past him.

It was two Soul Reapers.

One of them had white hair and wore a white Haori over his black Soul Reaper clothes.

The other man had a pink kimono over his Soul Reaper outfit and Haori with some sort of straw hat on his head.

Suddenly, the white-haired man stopped and walked back to the alley were the young boy sat. The boy was scared at first but when he saw the kind smile the man gave him, he got closer.

"Hi there. Why are you sitting here in the rain?"

"I don't have anywhere to go"

"Don't you have a family to stay with?"

"No one wants to take care of me. They either say that they don't have space or that they don't like kids my age"

The man's smile turned from happy to looking a bit sad.

" _Why would someone not care of a child. Especially one this young._

 _-_ Then... How about coming with us"

"You?"

"Yes. It must be better than sitting here in the rain"

The boy looked at the man who now smiled of happiness at him again. This made the boy smile too. He nodded and the man picked him up into his arms.

"What's your name?"

"Katsurou."

"It's nice to meet you Katsurou. I'm Jūshirō Ukitake

-And this is my friend Shunsui Kyōraku"

"Hi kid"

"Hi"

They then started to walk towards the gate that connected Rukongai with the Seireitei, the home of the Soul Reapers. As they walked in, Jūshirō looked down at Katsurou who had fallen asleep in his arms.

"What are you gonna do with him Jūshirō?"

"Take care of him of course"

"Do you think he'll like it?"

"I believe so"

They kept walking and soon, they reached the house were Jūshirō lived.

"I'll see you tomorrow Shunsui"

"Right, see ya Jūshirō"

With that, Shunsui walked away while Jūshirō walked into his home. As soon as he walked into the house, he meet the oldest of his five younger brothers.

"Hey Big brother, you're not staying at your division today"

"Not today."

"That's great. I bet sis will be happy"

He then noticed the child his brother was carrying.

"Who is that?"

Jūshirō smiled a little as he shook Katsurou awake. The little boy looked up at him and then at the other man in the room. He seemed a little scared since he tried to hide his face in Jūshirō's Haori.

"Don't be scared Katsurou. This is my younger brother Tatsuya"

"Nice to meet you little guy"

"Nice to meet you too"

Tatsuya gave the boy a smile.

"Can you please help him get dry and get some new clothes"

"Sure"

Jūshirō handed Katsurou to his brother and they walked down the hall. As they did, Jūshirō walked to his own room where he took off his wet uniform and changed to dry clothes.

When he stepped out of his room, Tatsuya came with Katsurou. The little boy was now dressed in a red kimono instead of the ripped clothes from before.

Jūshirō smiled and together the three of them walked into a bigger part of the house were two women and four men sat.

"Big brother Jūshirō, said one of the women.

-Are you staying at home today?"

"Yes Ayame"

The woman who was the youngest of his sisters got really happy to hear that. The others then stood up and looked at Katsurou.

"Who's this little guy, asked one of the men"

Jūshirō looked down at Katsurou and then at his siblings.

"His name is Katsurou. Shunsui and I found him abandoned in Rukongai on our way home. I couldn't leave him there so I brought him with me"

"Are you gonna say what I think you're gonna say"

Jūshirō looked at his brother and then at the boy before he knelt to look him in the eyes.

"Katsurou."

"Yes"

"Do you want to stay here in the Seireitei and become my son?"

He could see how the little boy's eyes widened at the question.

"Are you sure you want me as your son?"

"Yes. I don't see anything wrong with you Katsurou. All I see is a boy in need of a loving family and I'm willing to give you just that"

Katsurou was quiet before his big brown eyes meet Jūshirō's hazel eyes.

"Can I call you dad?"

"I would be more than honored if you want to call me that"

He could see small tears of joy appear in the corners of Katsurou's eyes before the little boy hugged him. Jūshirō hugged him back before he lifted him up into his arms and stood up.

The others around them all smiled. They had a feeling that this boy would bring so much joy to their older brother.

"Katsurou these are the rest of my siblings"

"Welcome to the family little guy, said one of the men

-I'm Ryouta"

"My name is Izumi"

"Kazuki is my name"

"I'm Kenta"

"My name is Ayame"

"And I'm Kenji"

The little boy couldn't help but let a smile cross his face. He had been scared about these people but they all seemed really kind.

"From now on, you not only have me but also five uncles and two aunts to call your family, said Jūshirō"

"Aunts and uncles"

"That's right kid, said Kenji"

The family then sat down for some dinner and they all couldn't help but smile at the shyness Katsurou had to having food placed in front of him. He seemed almost afraid to touch it.

"It's okay Katsurou, all of that is yours to eat, said Izumi"

"Are your sure?"

"Yes"

He looked at the food before he took a bite of some of it and he really seemed to like it which made the others around the table happy.

After dinner, they all sat down in the big room they had been in earlier. After a while, Katsurou fell asleep with his head resting on his new father's chest.

"He's so cute, Ayame whispered"

"Yeah, it's sad to think that someone like him lived in Rukongai, said Kazuki"

"Which district was it, Tatsuya asked"

Jūshirō sighed as looked at the boy.

"The 75th district of west Rukongai"

"That high up, said Tatsuya surprised"

"Yes. Both Shun and I couldn't believe that a child this young lived in conditions like that and on his own"

"No one was taking care of him, said Kenta surprised"

"He had no family or no one to live with. They either told him that they did't have space or that they didn't like kids his age"

"That's really horrible of them, said Ryouta"

"It is but that's the hard truth of Rukongai's worse districts"

Since it had been a while since they all were together, the 8 siblings just talked about different things for a long while before they all decided to call it a night.

Since Katsurou didn't have a room of his own in the house, Jūshirō decided to let his son stay with him. He figured that it would be the best since everything was so new to the boy.

So he laid the still sleeping boy down on the futon in his room and covered him with the quilt. He then changed to a sleeping robe before he laid down next to him.

He carefully brushed a piece of hair away from Katsurou's face before he whispered...

"Welcome to the family, Katsurou Ukitake... my son"

 _ **After that day Katsurou lived a very happy life in the Seireitei. He finally had a family who all loved him very much.**_

 _ **But he soon got to learn something about his father.**_

It was a sunny day about two months after Katsurou was adopted by Jūshirō. They were sitting in the garden behind the 13th division along with Shunsui and his lieutenant, Lisa Yadomaru.

But it was then Jūshirō started coughing violently. Shunsui was quickly by his side, placing an hand on his back.

"Lisa take Katsurou to our division while I get Jūshirō to Unohana"

"Right"

Lisa picked up Katsurou and Flash Stepped to the 8th divsion were they sat down. She looked down at the boy and saw a mix of worry and fright on his face.

"It's okay, there's no need to worry. This is not the first time that happens to captain Ukitake"

"But he was coughing so bad and I saw blood"

"He never told you?"

"Told me what?"

"Your father has an illness that flares up from time to time"

Both turned their heads and saw Shunsui come towards them. He sat down next to Lisa and placed the boy in his lap.

"What do you mean uncle Shunsui?"

"For as long as I've known Jūshirō, he's always had that illness. It may look bad but he'll be okay after some rest"

"Right. Were is he now?"

"I took him to Unohana at the 4th divsion but he needs to stay there for a few days so you'll stay with me until then since your aunts and uncles are away"

"Okay"

 _ **Two days later: 4th division.**_

"Are you really sure you want me to take care of him?"

Jūshirō looked at the big Soul Reaper who stood in the room

"Yes. Shunsui is going on a mission and my siblings are visiting Rukongai for a few more days. I know that he've only meet you two or three times but he seems to like being around you.

-So please Komamura. Can you look after him until I'm well enough to leave the 4th"

The big Soul Reaper, Sajin Komamura was quiet for a moment before he nodded.

"I'll do it"

"Thank you"

Sajin bowed before he left the 4th division and made his way to the 8th. There he saw Shunsui sitting outside with Katsurou in his lap. When he got closer, the captain gave him a smile and stood up with the boy in his arms.

"I thought you had a mission, captain."

"I do Komamura but I managed to talk Old-man Yama into letting me wait until someone came to look after Katsurou"

"Well I'm here so you and your division can leave"

"Right. Be nice to Komamura now, okay kiddo"

"Right Uncle Shunsui"

Katsurou hugged Shunsui before he was handed over to Sajin.

He walked out of the 8th division and decided to take Katsurou to a place only he knew about.

"Were are we going Mr Komamura?"

"There's no need to be formal with me, just call me Sajin.

-As for were we're going, you'll find out soon"

They walked through a bunch of trees until they came to a small field. There Sajin placed the little boy on the ground.

"Go on. Why don't you run around and play a little"

Katsurou smiled a little before he started to run around on the field and Sajin sat down, keeping a close eye on him. Even if it couldn't be seen, he was smiling under his mask.

After a while, Katsurou came and sat down on Sajin's leg.

"Why are you hiding your face?"

"Because I'm different from others"

"How?

Sajin looked down at the boy before he reached up and took off the mask that covered his face. Under it, Sajin had the face of a brown furred wolf.

At first he thought the boy got scared to see his face but when Katsurou reached up to try and touch his face, Sajin's thought changed. He lifted him up and the boy started to strok his hand over the fur.

"So this is why you hide your face"

"Yes. You are the only person besides Head-captain Yamamoto to know what I really look like. Others have only seen my masked face. I'm afraid about how they would react if they saw my true face. I'm afraid to scare them"

"I'm not scared"

"You aren't but others might be. I'm not human after all and I don't know how people would react to have someone like me around them"

"I'm sure that someday they will accept you"

"That makes me glad to hear you say. It's really kind of you"

Katsurou smiled at him and Sajin couldn't help but smile back.

 _ **Every day after that, Sajin took Katsurou with him to that field. He took it as a chance to take off his mask while also playing with the young boy. During those days, the two of them became good friends.**_

 _ **A week after Sajin was asked to look after Katsurou they were sitting in the 7th division when Sajin's captain, Love Aikawa came and told Sajin that Shunsui was waiting at the 13th division for them**_.

They made their way over there and outside the barracks, they meet Shusui. Sajin placed Katsurou on the ground and he ran over to the man who picked him up.

"Hey there kiddo.

-Has he behaved well Komamura?"

"He has behaved amazingly well"

"That's good. Now come on you two, there's someone who's waiting for us"

They followed Shunsui to the other side of the barracks and there on the porch sat Jūshirō. He turned his head towards them and smiled when Shunsui placed Katsurou on the ground and he ran up to his father to hug him.

"I've missed you dad"

"I've missed you too. It's been empty without you around"

"So are you okay now?"

"Yes, I'm feeling much better now"

The captain then looked up at Sajin.

"Thank you for looking after him Komamura"

"No problem captain. It was fun and I'll be glad to do it again sometime"

"Thank you. I'll kept that in mind"

 _ **Not long after that day, Jūshirō couldn't help but notice that besides Sajin, there was no one else that his son called his friend. There weren't that many children in the Seireitei so it could explain how he didn't have friends in his age.**_

 _ **But there was one person that Jūshirō though may be a good friend to his son. They were after all close in age, only two or three decades seperated them.**_

Jūshirō was walking around the Seireitei with Katsurou next to him.

After a while they meet an elderly man dressed in a captain uniform with a scarf around his neck.

"Hello captain Kuchiki"

"Hello to you as well Ukitake. Out for stroll are we"

"Yes. Of course you take the chance when there's not much work"

"I agree with you"

He then noticed Katsurou who was hiding slightly behind Jūshirō.

"And who's this?"

"This is my son Katsurou. I suppose you've heard about him"

"Ah yes, I have"

Jūshirō then looked down at Katsurou who still was hiding behind him.

"Katsurou this is Ginrei Kuchiki and he's a captain like me"

The elder man looked at the boy who stepped out a bit.

"Nice to meet you sir"

Jūshirō smiled before he picked up his son.

"He's really shy around people he haven't meet before"

"I understand that. It can't be easy to go from the life he used to have to the one he has now"

"You're right. And speaking of life changing... How's Byakuya doing?"

"Still taking his father's death really hard but I understand him. He loved Sōjun very much and since he's still young it's hard to lose a parent"

"I see"

Ginrei stroked his mustache before looking at the two.

"Why don't you come with me to my home for some tea"

So the two followed Ginrei to his home at the Kuchiki manor.

"Welcome home Lord Ginrei"

"Please prepare some tea for me and my guests. And tell Byakuya I wish for him to join us"

"Of course my lord"

Ginrei then led Jūshirō and Katsurou through his home to a bigger room were the doors were open so they could look out at the garden.

Soon the door opened and a black-haired boy just a few years older than Katsurou entered the room.

"You wanted to see me grandfather"

"Ah yes Byakuya, come sit with us"

The boy walked over to the table and sat down next to his grandfather.

"Byakuya you already know captain Ukitake"

"Hello Byakuya"

"Nice to meet you again sir"

Byakuya then look at Katsurou.

"Who are you?"

"My name is Katsurou"

"He's captain Ukitake's son, said Ginrei"

A servant then came in with some tea for them that they drank in silence before Ginrei turned to his grandson.

"Byakuya why don't you take Katsurou and play in the garden"

"Play?"

"That's a good idea Ginrei. Why don't you teach Byakuya that game you always play with your uncles, Katsurou"

"Okay"

The two boys got up and walked outside to the garden were they started to play tag.

"You know Ginrei, those two are quite alike in some ways"

"In what ways?"

"Both of them are sons or in Byakuya's case, grandson to the current head of the families. It's pretty much decided that they will both take over as the next head once you and I step down. Both have been through hard times in their lives despite their young ages"

"You're talking about Byakuya losing both his parents before he even became a teenager"

"Yes. In Katsurou's case, he had to spend many years of his life in one of the worse parts of Rukongai before I found him"

"That is a hard thing for someone that young"

They looked out at the boys and Ginrei could actually see a slight smile on Byakuya's face.

"This is the first time I've seen Byakuya smile since his father's death"

"Suro seem to have that effect on people. He always finds a way to make them smile"

"Suro?"

"It's just a little nickname I have on Katsurou. It seems to stick as well since Shunsui and my siblings all call him that"

"I see"

The two captains then watched the boys play while also taking the time to talk about some work related things.

 **After a few hours...**

"I guess we should take our leave now. I have a few things at the 13th to do before it gets dark"

"Okay"

The two stood up and walked out to the pond were the boys were looking at the Koi.

"It's time to go Suro"

"Okay"

Katsurou got up and stood next to his father.

"It was nice having you here Ukitake"

"It was. Thank you for inviting us captain Kuchiki"

"And you young Katsurou"

"Yes sir?"

A slight smile appeared on Ginrei's face as he looked at the boy.

"Feel free to come back and play with Byakuya again"

"Really?"

"Yes. You would like that too, right Byakuya?"

"Yes grandfather. I had really fun Katsurou"

"I had fun too"

The two captains smiled at the boys who seemed to have become friends already.

Then, Jūshirō and Katsurou left the Kuchiki manor and made their way home to their estate.

"We're home"

"Welcome home you two, said Kenji"

"Where have you been, Kazuki asked"

"Why don't you tell them that Suro. I need to get back to my division for a few hours"

"Okay dad"

So Jūshirō left to finish his work for the day while Katsurou told his aunts and uncles about the hours they spent at the Kuchiki manor and how fun he had playing tag and other games with Byakuya.

 _ **A few months later.**_

Winter had come to the Seireitei, making the days colder.

"Okay, we're going out to find something for Juu, said Tatsuya"

He and Izumi looked into the room were their siblings and Katsurou sat. The boy was curled up next to Kenji in front the fireplace.

"Right, said Ryouta"

The two oldest then left the house and Katsurou looked curiously at his uncles.

"What are they going to get?"

"It's your father's brithday today so they are gonna get him a gift, said Kenta"

"I want to give him something too"

"Then why don't you draw something for him, said Kazuki

-I've seen how much you like to do that"

"Okay"

Katsurou got up and left the room for a moment before he came back carrying some things that he placed on the table.

While he sat there drawing, his aunt and uncles all started to clean and do other things around the house.

After a while, Katsurou looked up from the drawing.

"Uncle Ryouta"

"What is it Suro?"

"Could you help me with something"

"Sure"

Ryouta knelt behind the boy and looked at his drawing.

"I'm sure Juu is gonna love that"

"You do?"

"Yes. So what did you need help with?"

"I want to write something on it but I don't know how"

"I see. What do you want to write"

Katsurou whispered it in his ear and his uncle smiled before gently taking a hold of the boy's hand.

"Let's do it this way. I'll guide your hand to write the characters"

"Okay"

Ryouta then slowly moved his hand so Katsurou's hand followed and wrote the characters for the word he wanted to write.

Once they were done, Ryouta let go of his nephew's hand.

"All done"

"Thank you uncle Ryouta"

"No problem"

Katsurou smiled and hugged his uncle just as Tatsuya and Izumi came.

"We're back"

"Did you find anything, asked Kenta"

"Yeah but it took some time. Juu isn't the easiets to find gifts to"

"I agree with you Tatsuya, said Kazuki"

"So what you been doing, Izumi asked"

"Cleaning to make sure everything looks nice when Juu comes home, said Kenji"

"Good, that makes things easier"

Tatsuya then noticed the drawing on the table.

"Did you do that Suro?"

"Yes. I wanted to give dad something too, so uncle Kazuki said I should draw him something"

"I see. I'm sure he'll love it"

The rest of the day, the eight of them spent just relaxing. Some of them sat down reading books or in front of the warm fireplace.

When the sun later started to set, they heard the door open and close.

"I'm home"

"Welcome home Juu, said Tatsuya"

"You have a good timing, dinner is almost done, said Kenta"

Jūshirō smiled at his brother before looking at his son who had his hands behind his back.

"You got something there Suro?"

The boy nodded and Jūshirō knelt to his height. Katsurou then held out his hands and his father took the paper he held.

A big smile spread across his face when he saw that it was a drawing on the two of them. But it was the words writen on the bottom that made him smile the most.

 **"Otōsan daisuki"**

He then looked at Katsurou who had this big smile on his face.

"Happy birthday dad"

A few tears of joy made their way down Jūshirō's cheeks as he placed the drawing on the table before pulling the boy into a big hug which he happily returned.

"Thank you Suro"

He then let go of Katsurou and dried his eyes before looking at him.

"Even thought I didn't get it today, do you know what the greatest gift I've every gotten is?"

"No"

Jūshirō stood up before he picked up Katsurou.

"It's you that are the greatest gift I ever gotten. The day I found you and adopted you into the family, I got the son I've longed for for many years

-Katsurou daisuki"

This time it was Katsurou's turn to place his arms around his father.

"Otōsan daisuki"

He was then put down as the seven people around them all smiled at the two.

The family then sat down and enjoyed the rest of this special day together.

 _ **As the years passed, Katsurou grew out of his shyness. His family also started to teach him writting and reading as well as how a member of a lower nobility should behave.**_

 _ **He also started to help taking care of his father when he got sick. Everyone around him saw how much he loved to be of help and even Retsu Unohana, the 4th division captain noticed that Jūshirō seemed to recover faster ever since his son started to help taking care of him.**_

It was bright and sunny morning in the Seireitei when Katsurou woke up. He stretched his arms before he stood up and folded his futon before placing it in the corner of the room.

He changed his sleeping robe for his favorite Kimono that had been a birthday gift from Shunsui. It was dark blue with a pattern of flowers on the sleeves and bottom.

He then picked up the book he had been reading the previous day before he walked out of his room.

"I'm going to dad's division"

"Okay, said Tatsuya"

Katsurou smiled at his uncle before he left the estate and made his way to the 13th division.

There he walked through the barracks to the back were he sat down to look out over the garden. This was a habit he had picked up from his father. Sitting outside like this was really calming and when his father wasn't sick like this day, they would sit together at the estate until his captain duties called for him.

"Hey. Morning kiddo"

Katsurou looked behind him and saw Kaien Shiba, a man who had joined the division a while back.

"Morning Kaien"

"You hungry?"

"A little"

"Good I brought a little extra then"

Kaien sat down and placed the tray he had been carrying between them. On it was some onigiri. They picked up one each and started to eat.

"I guess you're here to see the captain"

"Yes. He said yesterday that he was feeling better so I'm gonna see how he is today"

"For being so young you sure act very mature."

"I just don't want my father to start working until he is completly fine or else it won't be long until he's sick again."

Kaien looked at the boy and smiled. Then he stood up and picked up the tray.

"I better get to work like the others"

"Right"

"See ya latter kiddo"

"It's not kiddo. It's Katsurou or just Suro"

Kaien chuckled at him before he walked away. Katsurou then decided to get going as well.

He made his way towards Ugendō, were he had learned some years ago was were his father always stayed when he was sick.

He quietly walked in and saw that Jūshirō was asleep. So Katsurou sat down and started to read his book. After he had read for a while, he heard a slight groan and saw that his father was waking up so he put the book down.

"Morning dad"

"Hey Suro"

"How are you feeling?"

"Better than yesterday"

"That's good. Maybe you'll recover quicker than Mrs Unohana thought"

"Perhaps."

Then a squad member appeared in the door with captain Unohana behind him.

"Good morning Miss Unohana"

"Good morning to you as well Katsurou.

-And how are you today captain Ukitake?"

"Better than when you were here three days ago"

"That's good. Maybe it's because you have such a good little caretaker right here"

Katsurou smiled at her kind words. He then watched as Reiatsu started to glow around Retsu's hand and she placed it over Jūshirō's chest. After a moment, a slight smile appeared on her face.

"I would say about two or three more days in bed and then you can return to your duties."

"Right"

Retsu smiled a little before she stood up and left them.

"Told you dad. Last time she said one and a half week or something. Now you just need two more days"

"You were right."

Jūshirō raised his hand and placed it on his son's head before he ruffled his hair which made the boy laugh.

 _ **Three days later, Jūshirō was back on his feet and it was just in time for the ceremony to welcome a new captain.**_

Kaien and Katsurou were out on some errands for the division and once they were done they weren't that far from the 1st division.

"Hey Suro, the meeting should be over soon. How about we go over there and wait for your dad?"

"Sure"

So the two of them walked over to the 1st division and after a while they saw all captains come.

"Well well look who we have here, said Shinji Hirako the 5th division captain"

"Hey there Kaien, kiddo, said Kensei Muguruma captain of the 9th division"

"Hi captain Muguruma, said Katsurou."

"How many times do I have to tell you that it's okay for you to call me by my name since you're not an officer"

"Sorry"

"So why are you two here Kaien, Jūshirō asked"

"The kid helped me with finishing a few errands and we decided to wait for you since we were nearby"

"That's kind of you"

Kaien grinned before the two looked at Katsurou. The young boy smiled as he was greeted by all captains and then he noticed the new face among them.

"Mr Urahara you're a captain now?"

"Yeah, I took over as the captain of the 12th division"

"That's awesome. I'm sure you'll make a great captain"

"Well thanks Katsurou"

"See Kisuke, even Jūshirō's boy thinks you'll be a good captain, said the 2nd division captain, Yoruichi Shihōin"

"I hear you Yoruichi"

Katsurou smiled at Kisuke before he ran up to his father and Kaien. They said goodbye to the captains and returned to the 13th division.

Once they got there, they sat down on the porch and someone came with tea for them.

"About the offer I gave you Kaien..."

"Do you want me to say it again? I'm not going serve as your lieutenant"

"Why are you being so stubborn? I'm starting to take this personally"

"You know as well as I do that there are lots of others who deserve to be lieutenant more than me"

"There you go again. You're always putting duty before friendship"

"I think you should feel honored Kaien, said Katsurou"

"What was that kiddo?"

"You should feel honored that my father wants you to be his lieutenant. It shows how much he trusts you to be the one to lead the division when he's not feeling well."

"That's enough Suro, said Jūshirō"

"Sorry. But you know I'm right dad"

"You are but if he don't want to we can't force him"

"Right"

Jūshirō placed his hand on Katsurou's shoulder and smiled at him which made the boy smile back.

 _ **For 9 years, there was peace in the Seireitei. But one night, several captains and lieutenants were somehow exposed to something called Hollowfication. Kisuke as well as Tessai, the Kid**_ _ **ō corps commander were both taken to Central 46 and accused for everything that happened.**_

It was very late when Jūshirō returned to his home. A lot had happened that night and now, five captains, four lieutenants and the kidō commander had all been sentenced to different punishments including death due to this thing called Hollowfication. But they had all disappeared before anything could happen to them and Yoruichi was also gone.

" _What's happening around here?"_

He quietly opened the door to the estate and walked inside were he was surprised to see that Tatsuya still was awake.

"Juu, you're back later than usual"

"A lot has happened tonight Tatsuya. Captains and lieutenants has somehow been through experiments to make them into Hollows and Kisuke Urahara was accused for it"

"That doesn't sound good"

"It isn't good at all. All of them has also disappeared from the Soul Society entirely"

"How's that possible?"

"We don't know"

Jūshirō let out a sigh before he and his brother started to walk through the house.

They stopped outside Katsurou's room and quietly slided the door open. Jūshirō smiled when he saw his son fast asleep with one arm over a plushie that looked like a dog.

He then closed the door just as quietly and the two brothers kept walking through the house.

"How do you think Suro is gonna react Juu? He looked up to those guys"

"I don't know. We'll have to wait until tomorrow"

He then coughed a little and Tatsuya put a hand on his shoulder.

"You okay?"

"This has just been a stressful night, that's all"

"And you have work tomorrow so you'll only get a few hours of sleep"

"Master Genryūsai actually told me before I left the last meeting that I should take tomorrow off and for once... I agree with him"

Tatsuya looked surprised at his brother. During all his years as a Soul Reaper, Jūshirō never liked when he had to take days off due to his health because it happened quite often.

That was until Katsurou became a part of their lives.

After the boy had vitnessed his father's illness for the first time years ago, Jūshirō had started to take days off right as he was starting to feel sick instead of ignoring it for a few days when it usualy got worse.

The two brothers then walked to their rooms so they could get some sleep.

 _ **The next day.**_

Katsurou walked through the house to the kitchen were his aunts was making breakfast.

"Morning aunt Ayame, aunt Izumi"

"Good morning Katsurou, said Izumi"

"Can I help with anything?"

"That's sweet of you. Why don't you fill those bowls over there with some rice"

"Leave it to me"

Katsurou walked over to were the rice and bowls were. After he had filled two of them, he noticed that there were eight bowls instead of nine.

"Aunt Izumi you've forgotten a bowl"

"No we haven't. Your father came home very late yesterday and Tatsuya said that he was starting to feel unwell. So we decided to let him sleep for as long as he need and bring him something to eat later"

"Okay"

The eight of them then sat down to eat and once they were done, Katsurou sat down with Tatsuya for some studying.

"How's this uncle Tatsuya, he asked after a while"

Tatsuya looked down at what the boy had written and nodded.

"That's good. You're really getting the hang of these more advance kanji"

"It's still a bit hard but I'm starting to get it"

"That's a good thing"

He ruffled the boy's hair and then, Izumi came into the room.

"Katsurou could you do me a favor?"

"Of course"

"Come with me then"

Katsurou followed his aunt to the kitchen were she held out a tray.

"Can you take this to your father? He should wake up soon so I made something for him to eat"

"Of course"

"Thank you"

Katsurou took the tray and walked to his father's room were he used his foot to open the door.

"Hi Suro"

"Hi dad. How are you feeling?"

"Okay. A little pain in my chest but it's not as bad as it usualy is"

"Taking the day off to rest was a good idea then"

"Yes"

Katsurou placed the tray on the table next to the futon.

"Aunt Izumi made you something to eat"

"That's kind of her"

The boy smiled before handing his father the bowl of rice.

"Uncle Tatsuya said you were home very late last night. Did something happen?"

Jūshirō looked at his son before he sighed.

"The captains of the 3rd, 5th, 7th, 9th and 12 division along with the lieutenants of the 8th, 9th and 12th has vanished"

"Vanished?"

"Something happened to them last night and , they all disappeared from the Soul Society. Yoruichi has also disappeared"

"So they're never coming back"

"I'm afraid that might be very true"

It hurt Jūshirō to see the sadness that appeared on his son's face.

He put the bowl back on the tray before gesturing for Katsurou to sit down next to him. Once the boy had done that, he wrapped an arm around him and Katsurou put his head on his father's shoulder as a few tears escaped his eyes.

"I'm gonna miss them"

"I know Suro. We all will"

He stroke his fingers through Katsurou's hair before giving him a sidway hug.

 _ **Soon, life returned to normal in the Seireitei and the missing people were replaced by new captains and lieutenants.**_

 _ **Daisuki= I love you**_

 _ **Otosan=father/dad**_


	2. Chapter 2: Academy

**(Forgot to mention this last chapter but Bleach and all its characters belongs to Kubo and not me. The only one I own is Katsurou)**

 _ **During the years that passed, Katsurou grew from a young boy to a brave and strong young man.**_

 _ **At first, his family thought that he didn't have any spiritual abilities but as he got older, his powers started to grow and reveal themselves. So with some encouragement from his father, Katsurou decided to take the entrance exam for the Soul Reaper academy.**_

Katsurou was looking at himself in the mirror. Instead of his normal outfit, he now wore the male Soul Reaper Academy uniform. He had gotten the news just two days ago that he had passed the entrance exam and was granted a place at the school. This was going to be his first step to really become a Soul Reaper.

Then there was a knock on the door.

"Suro can I come in?"

"Sure dad"

The door opened and Jūshirō came in. He smiled as he looked at Katsurou in the uniform.

"It's hard to believe that some years ago, you were a shy little boy. Now you're a young man, ready to enter Soul Reaper Academy"

"I know what you mean.

-Hey dad, were you nervous when you entered the academy"

"I was. I was nervous and afraid that no one would accept me because of my illness. That they would tell me that I wasn't fit to be a Soul Reaper. But once I became friends with Shunsui, it all changed.

-He helped me through it, Master Genryūsai too. They helped me show everyone that despite my illness, I could still be a great Soul Reaper"

"I hope that won't happen to me"

"I don't think you have anything to worry about my son. Unlike me, you don't have anything that can hold you back. You're strong, kind and you care deeply for others. All those things are important for a Soul Reaper.

-But if something should happen... I'm sure that you'll find someone that will be such a great friend to you as Shunsui is to me"

"You're probably right. Thanks dad"

Katsurou then picked up a bag that laid on the floor.

"Well I better get going so I won't be late on my first day."

"Yeah that wouldn't be good."

Together the two walked outside.

"Take care now and do your best"

"I will"

Katsurou quickly hugged his father before he made his way towards the academy.

Once he got there he looked at the giant building were he for the coming six years would study the different techniques required for a Soul Reaper.

He was actually surprised when he got assigned a room and got to know that he was the only one to live alone while others shared.

It didn't bother him though.

He placed his bag on the bed and looked out the window. He had a view over the garden and its many Sakura trees. It would be a really beautiful view once they bloom.

After a while, he left for the entrance ceremony were they got assigned to their classes based on their scores on the entrance exam. Katsurou who had really high score was placed in the advanced class.

 _ **The first weeks at the academy went very well and Katsurou quickly showed to be one of the best new students.**_

 _ **But one day, rumors started to spread about him. Apparently an older student had found out that Katsurou is the son to one of the captains and started to spread a rumor that he just got into the academy because of that. Katsurou tried many times to tell those who asked him about it that they were wrong but they refused to listen.**_

 _ **Until one day...**_

Katsurou was sitting under a tree, reading a book when three third year students came.

"Hey you're the first year who got in here because of his dad aren't you?"

"I've told you a bunch of time that my father had nothing with this to do. He only inspired me to become a Soul Reaper, nothing more."

Then, one of the guys punched him so he landed on his back.

"Why are you lying to us?"

"I'm not lying"

The one who seemed to be the leader of the three smirked and got ready to punch him when suddenly...

"HEY. Leave him alone"

Everyone turned around and saw a student with black hair and a 69 tattoo on his cheek.

"Who are you?"

"Does it matter to you? Now leave that guy alone"

"Why are you defending him? He's not like us at all. He only got accepted into the academy because he is a captain's son"

"No, you're wrong about that. He took the entrance exam and got placed in the advanced class due to his high score. I would know since I'm in his class and saw him at the exam.

-Now get lost!"

The three third years looked at each other and walked away from the two. The black-haired guy mumbled something as they walked away before he turned to Katsurou and helped him up.

"You okay?"

"Yeah. Thanks a lot for the help"

"No problem. Those guys just think they're tough because they're third years"

"You're probably right"

Katsurou brushed off his uniform before turning to the black-haired guy again.

"My name is Katsurou Ukitake by the way"

"I'm Shūhei Hisagi. Nice to meet you Katsurou"

"You can just call me Suro if you want"

"Suro. That's a good nickname"

"My dad came up with it when I was little"

"Judging by your last name I guess your father who they talked about is captain Jūshirō Ukitake of the 13th division"

"You're right. That's my father"

"I heard a lot about him. He was trained by head-captain Yamamoto himself, right?"

"Yep"

"You know. It's actually cool that you have a father like him.

-I bet those guys were just jealous of you"

"You think so?"

"Yeah, think about it. They're from rich families but no one has a father that's a famous captain"

"I didn't think about it that way. Thanks Shūhei"

"No problem.

-Now let's go, we better get going to Kidō class"

"You're right"

So they started to walk towards the Kidō practice field. On their way, Katsurou asked Shūhei if they could be friends and Shūhei said he would be glad to be Katsurou's friend.

"Alright Group A line up."

"Yes sir"

Katsurou and four others stood up and walked over to a line.

"You will all now demonstrate Hadō #31"

"Sir"

All students took their positions and started to chant the spell for Hadō #31.

"Ruler, mask of flesh and blood, all things in the universe fly. That which names all in nature. Gathering of heat and war. Beyond the seas in reverse, take steps to the south.

-Hadō #31. Shakkahō"

Red balls of fire came from the students' hands and they aimed them towards targets. Katsurou and one more hit the target right in the middle.

"Good job"

"Thank you sir"

They then walked back to sit down and let the next group line up. As he walked to the back of the group, Katsurou recived a smile and nod from Shūhei as a way to say good job.

The class kept going until all students had had a chance to try the Hadō spell.

Their next class was Seireitei History, a subject that many students found really boring, including Katsurou.

Being the son to one of the oldest captains in the Soul Society, he did know a lot of history since he had asked his father many times when he was younger to tell him about the Gotei 13.

"Ukitake"

"Yes sir"

"Do you want to tell the rest of the class when the Gotei 13 originaly was created?"

"Yes"

Katsurou stood up and cleared his throat.

"The original Gotei 13 was formed an unknown number of centuries ago by the current head-captain, Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto and they were said to be the strongest version of the organization. But unlike the current Gotei 13, this version was made up of what many people and books calls "a brutal mob of killers"

-Things changed to what they are now after Yamamoto created this very academy over two thousand years ago. That's when they started to become what they are today"

"Very good. And who are currently the only captains left from the first version of the Gotei 13?"

"Current 1st division leader and head-captain Yamamoto as well as the 4th division captain, Retsu Unohana"

"That's correct"

The teacher made a sign for Katsurou to sit back down before turned around and wrote some names on the board behind him.

"Just like Ukitake said, the oldest of the captains are indeed head-captain Yamamoto and captain Unohana. But there are two more that can be called the oldest since they are the only ones left from their generation of captains from over 200 years ago.

-These two are Shunsui Kyōraku and Jūshirō Ukitake, the very first graduates of this academy to aquire the rank of captains. Along with Yamamoto and Unohana, they are concidered the oldest and strongest out of all captains"

"What about the 11th division captain, I heard that guy is really strong, said another student"

"He may be strong but not even the current Kenpachi can hold a candle to these four"

The class kept going and once it ended, Katsurou returned to his room. He was really tired after the day but happy that he had made a friend.

He sat down at his desk and started to write a letter.

 _Dad_.

 _I hope everything is okay back home. As for me, I'm having a good time here. I was placed in the advanced class due to my test score._

 _But not everything has been great. A few days ago, a student spread a rumor about me, that I only got into the academy and the advanced class because I'm a captain's son. Earlier today three third years started to pick on me and one actually landed a punch on me._

 _But someone saved me from them. He told them to stop treating me that way and that I got in due to my score. His name is Shūhei Hisagi and he seems to be a really nice guy. I asked him if he wanted to be my friend and he gladly excepted. I'm sure that as long as he's with me, they will stop picking on me and everything like that._

 _I miss you and I will come home on my day off. Until then take care._

 _Katsurou._

 _ **A few days later**_

The final lesson of the day was over and the students started to leave the classroom.

"Ukitake may I speak with you?"

"Of course sir"

The teacher waited until all the other students had left the room before picking up an envelope from a book.

"The headmaster asked me to give this to you"

"Thank you sir"

Katsurou then left the classroom and made his way to his dorm room were Shūhei were already stretched out on one of the beds.

The two had become roommates just two days ago. Shūhei had heard that Katsurou had a room to himself and asked if he could move in there since he didn't like the two people he shared with.

"Hey Suro, where did you go?"

"Our teacher just wanted to give me this"

He held up the letter that he had gotten before he sat down on his bed and opened it.

Once he had read it, he looked at his friend.

"Hey Shūhei are you going home on the day off?"

"There is not much for me to go home for. I don't really have anyone left in the part of Rukongai where I grew up so I'll probably stay here"

"Why not come with me to my home"

"Your place?!"

"Yeah. You see, I wrote a letter to my father the day we meet. I told him about everything that has happened and that you became my friend."

"You did?"

"Yep, this letter is from him actually. He says that it's great that I found a friend and if you don't have anywhere else to go on the day off, you're more than welcome to our home at the Ukitake estate"

"Well when you say it that way, it's hard to turn down that offer"

Katsurou smiled at him.

So just two days later after their last class, all students started to leave the school for their day off. Katsurou stood at the gate waiting for Shūhei. First he thought his friend had changed his mind but then he came.

"Sorry for letting you wait"

"It's okay. Now let's go, there's quite a long way for us to go"

"Right"

With that, the two started to walk. On the way they talked about a lot of different things. Mostly Shūhei asked Katsurou about his father since he wanted to make a good impression on the captain.

"You don't need to worry Shūhei. My father is a really kind man. Just be yourself."

"Right"

Katsurou gave his friend a reasuring smile before looking up to see the 13th division barracks.

"We're here. Shūhei welcome to the 13th division"

They two of them walked in and there they meet Kaien.

"Hey Suro, you're back. I guess you have your day off from the academy"

"That's right."

"I see. Who's your friend?"

"Kaien this is Shūhei Hisagi, a friend from the academy.

-Shūhei this is Kaien Shiba, the lieutenant of the 13th"

"Nice to meet ya kid"

"Nice to meet you too sir"

Kaien gave Shūhei his signature wide grin before turning to Katsurou.

"Your dad is in the garden if you're looking for him"

"Right. Thanks Kaien"

So Katsurou led Shūhei out to the garden where he heard familiar voices.

"Looks like Shunsui is here too"

Shūhei looked at his friend a bit confused but then they rounded the corner and saw two men sit on the porch. Shūhei saw that the white-haired of the two looked up and smiled before standing up and walking over to them.

"Suro why didn't you tell me this was your day off"

"I wanted to surprise you"

Shūhei couldn't help but smile a little as he saw the two hug each other. He understood then that the white-haired man was Katsurou's father.

The other man then stood up as well and patted Katsurou's shoulder.

"It's been a while Suro"

"It sure has uncle Shunsui"

He then turned towards Shūhei and gestured for him to come closer.

"Dad, Shunsui this is Shūhei Hisagi, my friend from the academy."

"It's very nice to meet you Shūhei. I'm Jūshirō Ukitake, captain of the 13th division.

-I want to thank you for helping my son when he needed it"

"No problem sir. I'm glad to help"

"My, my so you're Hisagi. Jūshirō told me what Suro wrote about you.

-My name is Shunsui Kyōraku and I'm the captain of the 8th division"

"Nice to meet you sir"

"Well Jūshirō, I'll get going. I bet you have a lot to talk about."

"Right. See you another day Shunsui"

With that Shunsui left the three of them.

They all sat down on the porch and member of the division brought them some tea.

"So how's everything at the academy?"

"Everything is fine I guess. The classes are great but theory is a bit boring. Right Shūhei?"

"Yeah, only Kendo and Kidō are the fun parts"

"It's just like my days there. Shunsui thought the same thing as you two while I really didn't mind any of the classes"

All three laughed slightly at that.

"By the way dad. I heard a few days ago that Sajin has become the new captain of the 7th division. Is that true?"

"Yes. Komamura became captain just three days ago but he's already doing a good job."

"I didn't believe anything else about him"

"Who's Komamura, Shūhei asked"

"Sajin Komamura is a member of the 7th division who I became friends with when I was younger and he's now been promoted to captain. He's very kind and really deservs the position"

"I see"

The three of them just sat there for a few more hours just talking and having a great time.

The next day, the boys spent relaxing in the garden of the Ukitake estate. But the time passed past by fast and soon, they were back at the academy.

 _ **During the coming months, the two trained hard along side the rest of their classmates. But then one day during their second year, one class didn't go as planned.**_

The second and fourth years were having joined Zanjutsu training due to the 4th years' teacher being absent.

"Okay, time for some sparring matches. Kagemoto, Ukitake you're up first"

Shūhei couldn't help but let his eyes widen slightly. Kagemoto had been the leader of the group he had saved Katsurou from on the day they first meet. Were everyone else now was kind to his friend, Kagamoto still wasn't. He needed to keep his eyes open in case the older were going to try something bad.

Both Katsurou and Kagemoto stood up and got the practice swords from the teacher.

"Kagemoto since you're two years above Ukitake you're not allowed to use what you fourth years have been taught"

"Understood sir"

"Well then... BEGIN"

On that signal both students drew their swords and the match started.

Even though Katsurou's experience with a sword was slightly less than Kagemoto's, he managed to keep up with the older student quite well. He blocked perfectly and had no flaws in his stances, at least in Shūhei's eyes.

But then...

Kagemoto hit the sword out of Katsurou's hand before he used Flash Step to get behind him and made a deep cut in his back.

Shūhei saw how his best friend fell to the floor and Kagemoto raised his sword.

"How's that you noble bastard"

He then swung the sword down but before he could land a blow, Shūhei appeared and blocked the attack with the sword his friend had dropped.

The teacher then used Bakudō #1 Sai to bind Kagemoto's arms to his back.

"What's wrong with you Kagemoto?! You seriously wounded a 2nd year student"

"That noble bastard deserved it. He only got into the academy and the advanced class because his father happens to be a captain"

"Were did you get that from? Ukitake got in just like anyone else, by taking the entrance exam and his score is what placed him in the advanced class"

The teacher then turned to help his wounded student.

"It's very deep. I don't think the healers here can do anything. Hisagi!"

"Yes sir?"

"You know were the 4th division is, right?"

"I do. Katsurou showed me during our day off a while back"

"Good, take Ukitake there. I'll send a Hell Butterfly to give them a heads up about your arrival"

"Right. But what about you sensei?"

"I need to speak with the headmaster about what happened here. Don't worry about your other classes, I'll tell your other teachers what happened"

"Thank you sir"

The teacher then helped Shūhei get Katsurou onto his back before the student Flash Stepped out of the dojo.

Shūhei was quick to get to the 4th division, his friend really needed help. Once he saw the building, he stopped his Flash Step and ran the last bit.

He walked in and a man with a lieutenant badge on his arm saw them.

"Are you the students we got word about?"

"Yes"

"Come with me, the captain is waiting"

Shūhei followed the man down the hall to a room were a woman waited.

"Captain Unohana, the academy student we got word about is here"

"Please lay him down here"

Shūhei carefully laid Katsurou on the bed with his back up and captain Unohana started to work.

"Your teacher made a good decision sending you here, this wound is really bad. Could you please tell me what happened?"

Shūhei sat down on a chair and started to tell her.

"We second years were having joined training with the 4th years. Katsurou was unlucky to be assigned to fight this guy who's been mean to him since the day we meet if not earlier. It was a fair fight until he knocked the sword out of Suro's hand and then slashed him very deep across the back"

"Did you say that this young man's name is Katsurou? As in Katsurou Ukitake"

"Oh that's right, he grew up here in the Seireitei so of course you know about him"

"His father and I are colleagues after all so I know him very well.

-Speaking of his father. Would you mind going to the 13th division and tell captain Ukitake that he is here?"

"Of course ma'am"

"Thank you..."

"Shūhei. I'm Shūhei Hisagi"

"Thank you Shūhei"

Shūhei bowed before he left the building and made his way to the 13th.

" _Good thing Suro taught me how all division are placed in alliance to each other"_

Soon enough, he reached the right division and the first person he saw was Kaien.

"Lieutenat Shiba!"

"Hisagi why are you here?"

"Is your captain here? I need to speak with him right now"

"Come with me"

Kaien led Shūhei through the division to a room.

"Captain do you have time?"

"Come in Kaien"

Kaien opened then door and Shūhei fell on his knees in front of the captain.

"Shūhei why are you here?"

"There was an accident during training at the academy. Suro got badly hurt and is in the 4th divsion, the captain asked me to come and tell you"

He could see worry spread over the captain's face as he said that.

"Go with him captain, I can take care of things here"

"Thank you Kaien. Let's go Shūhei, you can tell me what happened on the way"

"Of course

The two then went to the 4th divsion and Shūhei told the captain everything.

As they reached the division, Shūhei could see a lot of emotions in the captain's eyes.

They walked inside and down the hall to the room were Shūhei had left his friend in Retsu's hands.

"Shūhei you should get back to the academy before it gets dark. I promise to send word to you once Suro recovers"

"Thank you... Jūshirō"

"Your headmaster can also expect hearing from me after this incident. I won't let the one who did this to my son get away with it"

"Right"

Jūshirō watched as Shūhei walked down the hall and once he had rounded the corner, the captain sat down and put his face in his hands. He was worried about Katsurou, in his ears the incident had sounded terrible.

Retsu exited the room a while later and saw him.

"Captain Unohana how is he?"

"Don't worry captain Ukitake. Your son will be fine after a few days of rest here and then a week at home"

"I see"

"It was however a bad injury and I'm gonna send word to the academy headmaster to report Katsurou's condition"

"I have a few words about this to tell that man myself but that will wait until tomorrow. Right now I just want to be with Suro"

"I understand that. Go in, he should regain consciousness by morning"

"Okay"

Jūshirō walked past Retsu and into the room were he sat down and stroked his fingers through his son's soft black hair.

"Why did this have to happen to you Suro. I can't believe someone would hurt you like this"

A sad smile then crossed his face.

"But I sure am glad that you have Shūhei as a friend by your side"

Jūshirō stayed by his son's side the whole night and when morning came, Retsu came back to do a check up.

Once she was done, the young man started to groan and his eyes opened.

"C... captain Unohana"

"Hello there Katsurou. How are you feeling?"

"Okay I guess but my back is killing me"

"That's understandable seeing how you received a very deep sword cut yesterday"

"I did what?"

Memories of the previous day came flooding back into his mind and he would have bolted up if Retsu hadn't had a strong grip on his shoulder.

"You cannot make any sudden moment or the wound might open up again"

Once she felt him calm down and relax, she let got of his shoulder.

"Why am I here and not the academy infirmary?"

"Your wound was too deep for them to handle so a young man by the name of Shūhei Hisagi was asked to take you here"

"Shūhei did?"

"Yes, he carried you here all the way from the academy"

"Dad, you're here too"

"Of course. While Unohana worked on you yesterday, Shūhei came to the 13th and told me what happened"

"I see"

"You will need to stay here for a few days and then at home for a least a week. I will notify the academy and tell them to send the work you'll miss so you won't get behind on you studies"

"Thank you captain Unohana"

Retsu gave him a smile and helped him sit up before she left to take care of her other patients

Once the door had closed, Katsurou turned to his father.

"I worried you with this, did't I dad?"

"I was quite worried when Shūhei told me what had happened but you're okay now and that is what's important"

The two smiled at each other before Jūshirō stood up.

"I have to go to the division but I'll come by later"

"Right. And dad, could you please send a message to Shūhei and tell him that I'm okay now"

"Of course"

Jūshirō placed a hand on his son's head and ruffled his hair, something he hadn't done since Katsurou was little. He then walked over to the door, leaving his son alone in the room.

Once his footsteps couldn't be heard anymore, Katsurou sighed and leaned back against the pillows behind his back.

 _"I should have just told the teacher to pick someone else, if I had done that maybe I wouldn't have ended up here. But then the others may have seen me as a coward._

 _-Oh well, what happened happened and I can't do anything about that"_

The rest of the day, Katsurou spent reading a book that Retsu had given him so he wouldn't get bored.

Jūshirō returned when he was done with his work and stayed until the darkness of night started to fall over the Seireitei.

 _ **During the next few days, Katsurou kept himself occupied with the school work the academy had sent him. It made the days pass by faster and he was soon allowed to leave the 4th division. But as Retsu had told him, he had to stay at his familiy's estate for a week in order to let his injury heal a bit more before returning to the academy.**_

It was now the morning of the day Katsurou was allowed to return to the academy.

"Feels good to be able to go back"

"I understand that, Jūshirō said with a slight chuckle"

He was happy to see his son up on his feet and eager to return to the academy. His injury had healed very nicely according to Retsu but he had to take it easy when he return to Zanjutsu and Kidō classes, at least for the first days.

"So are you ready to go?"

"Yeah"

So father and son left their home and started to walk to the academy.

"Dad you don't have to come with me. I can get to the academy on my own"

"I know but the headmaster wanted to speak with me so that's why I'm coming with you"

"I see"

The rest of the walk to the academy was very calm and the two just talked until they reached the gates.

They walked into the building and made their way to the headmaster's office.

"Ah young Ukitake welcome back. It's good to see that you're okay"

"Thank you sir"

"As for why I wanted you to come captain Ukitake. I wanted to say that the staff and I are really sorry for what happened to your son.

-We've talked to other students and it appears that Kagemoto has been treating other students from noble families pretty bad. We won't accept that now when we know about it and he's been expelled"

"I understand. I'm glad the situation has been solved but if anything happens to my son again, both he and I will rethink the idea of him attending this academy"

"I understand that captain. Don't worry, all teachers have been ordered to keep their eyes out during their classes, especially Zanjustu and Kidō"

"Sounds good"

"I'm glad to hear that. As for you young Katsurou, when are you returning to classes?"

"Tomorrow sir. That's the orders from Captain Unohana along with that I need to take it easy during the more physical classes for a few days"

"I understand"

Katsurou and Jūshirō then left the office and the first thing that happened when they stepped out was that someone threw themself onto Katsurou.

"Shūhei let go off me"

"Sorry, I couldn't help"

"That's the welcome back I get, my best friend throwing himself onto me"

"You're coming back today?"

"Yeah but I won't return to classes until tomorrow"

"That's great. I'm glad you're back, things have been boring without you"

The two friends smiled at each other before Jūshirō placed a hand on his son's shoulder.

"I'll let you two catch up with each other. Kaien is probably waiting for me so I should go.

-Take care and be careful Suro"

"I will, don't worry dad"

 _ **Time flew by quickly after that and it was soon the sixth year for Katsurou and Shūhei at the academy. This particular day only weeks before their graduation, they and two others had been put in charge of an exercise for the 1st years.**_

"Do you all understand your mission?"

"Yes sir"

"Good. We expect great things from all four of you, especially Hisagi and Ukitake"

"Right"

"You have until this afternoon to prepare for the exercise along with the other sixth years"

"Yes sir"

"Dimissed"

The four of them walked out of the room and out to the court yard were they meet the other sixth years and started to plan the exercise.

Later that day, Katsurou and Shūhei along with their classmates Kanisawa and Aoga meet up with the first years and explained the exercise. They all then entered the gate to the world of the living.

Everything went smoothly until a real Hollow showed up. It injured Aoga and Shūhei as well as killing Kanisawa.

The Hollow was just about to attack Shūhei and Katsurou when three brave first years saved them by blocking the Hollow's claws with their swords.

"You three, said Katsurou."

"We just wanted to help sir, sorry to disobey, said a blond young man"

"We came back to save you two, said the red-haired."

Then they pushed away the Hollows arms.

"You three use Kidō, Katsurou ordered

-I'm right behind you"

"Yes sir!

-Hadō #31 Shakkahō"

"Bones of beast scattered far and wide. Stable crimson crystals, steel wheel. Wind in action and the sky at rest. The sound of flying arrows.

-Hadō #63. Raikōhō"

A yellow orb generated from Katsurou's palm and shot lightning at the Hollow. It blinded it and they all took the chance to run away from it but they soon ran into even more Hollows.

Then out of nowhere, an attack came and killed one of the Hollows. They all looked behind them and there came two Soul Reapers.

"Captain Aizen, Lieutenant Ichimaru"

"Sorry to keep you and the others waiting Katsurou. We got here as quickly as we could."

"It's okay sir, we're just glad you're here."

Then Aizen walked up to the girl and placed his hand on her head.

"You've done very well. I'm sure you were scared but you're safe now. We'll take over from here"

Then he lifted his hand from her head and walked towards the Hollows with Gin.

They defeated the Hollows and made sure the students safely returned to the academy.

"Thanks for the help captain Aizen. I really thought we were gonna die back there"

"It's no problem Katsurou. We came to help as we were ordered but when we found out that you were there it became a little more important. You are after all the son to a fellow captain"

With that, Aizen and Gin left them while Katsurou turned to the three first years.

"I have to thank you as well. If you three hadn't come and blocked that Hollow's claws, who knows what would have happened"

"No problem sir"

"Do you mind telling me your names?"

"I'm Izuru Kira, said the blond"

"Name's Renji Abarai, said the red-haired"

"My name is Momo Hinamori, said the girl"

"It's a pleasure to meet all of you."

"Um sir may I ask how you know captain Aizen?"

"I've actually known captain Aizen since he was a lieutenant over 100 years ago since I grew up among the Gotei 13"

"So then it's true that you are the son of a captain, said Renji"

"That's right. My father is Jūshirō Ukitake, captain of the 13th division"

"That's why your last name was familiar, said Momo.

-Your father is one of the oldest and strongest captains. He was even trained by the head-captain."

"That's right"

Katsurou smiled before he and Shūhei went one way to have Shūhei's eye checked at the infirmary and the first years went another way.

 **Four weeks later it was just a few days left until Katsurou and Shūhei would graduate from the Soul Reaper academy.**

Katsurou was sitting under a Sakura tree and waited for Shūhei.

As he waited, Katsurou closed his eyes and decided to meditate a little. He had been hearing a voice for some days now but didn't know who's it was.

"Master"

Katsurou suddenly opened his eyes but instead of sitting under the tree he stood on a large field. It made him think back to the place Sajin used to take him to when he was younger.

He then looked to the side and saw something big and black come towards him.

"What are you?"

The creature came closer and once it stood right in front of him, Katsurou saw that it was a big black wolf with beautiful blue eyes.

"Greetings master, I'm Kuroi Ōkami but you can just call me Kuroi if you want to"

"Kuroi Ōkami? You're the voice I've heard for some days now"

"That's right. You see, I'm a Zanpakutō and I've been waiting for you to hear my voice clearly and come here so we could meet"

"How long have you been waiting for me?"

"For as long as you've heard my voice"

He then got this serious look in his eyes.

"Katsurou Ukitake do you think you can wield my power?"

Katsurou looked at the large wolf as he sat down and lowered his head. He lifted his hand and started to pet the side of Kuroi's face.

"I do. Kuroi Ōkami I want to wield you power"

"I'm glad to hear you say that. And remember master that no matter what, I will always be here for you"

Kuroi then turned into a sword that Katsurou grabbed in his hand. The sword was a katana with a light blue hilt and on the oval tsuba was a design that resembled a wolf face.

 **Suddenly** , Katsurou was back in the real world.

He looked at the sword next to him and saw that it had changed. It was now Kuroi's sword placed in a dark blue scabbard.

"Hey Suro sorry to keep you waiting"

Katsurou looked up and saw Shūhei come towards him. He grabbed the sword and stood up.

"It's okay Shūhei"

Shūhei then noticed the sword in his friend's hand.

"Did something happen to your sword because it looks different?"

"Believe it or not but while I was waiting I meet a Zanpakutō spirit. This is his sword"

"That's awesome. You got a true Zanpakutō before graduation"

"It's actually kinda cool"

The two then walked towards the academy building for their next class.

 **A few days later**

All sixth years were looking at a board with names by the numbers of each division"

"Alright, I got into the 9th, said Shūhei"

"The 13th for me, said Katsurou"

"Not a surprise."

"I guess not"

"That means that tomorrow we'll go separate ways"

"You're right. But I'm sure we'll still be able to see each other"


	3. Chapter 3: Back home

The day after their graduation, Katsurou and Shūhei were standing outside the gates of Soul Reaper academy. Instead of their academy uniforms, both were now dressed in the black Shihakushō that Soul Reapers wear.

"Well then...shall we get going"

"Yeah"

The two of them started to walk away from the Academy and towards their divisions.

Soon they reached a part of the road were they had to go different paths.

"No matter what, we'll always be friends. Right Shūhei?"

"You got that right Suro. Good luck in your dad's division"

"Thanks. Same for you at the 9th"

"Thanks man"

Then they started to walk different directions.

Once the 13th division came into view, a smile appeared on Katsurou's face. As he got closer, he saw some people outside. Everyone was smiling when they saw him approach.

"Is that Katsurou?"

"It is"

"Welcome back Katsurou"

"Thanks everyone, I'm really glad to be home"

"So are you a member of the 13th now?"

"Of course. There's no other division for me than this one"

"That's good to hear kiddo"

Everyone turned around and saw Kaien stand behind them.

"Hi Kaien. Or should I say lieutenant Shiba"

Kaien chuckled at Katsurou's comment before he walked closer and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"It's good to have you here. Welcome home"

"Thanks"

"Come with me . I think the captain will be glad to see you're here"

Katsurou nodded and followed Kaien. They stopped at his room in barracks first were he left his things before they walked outside.

"I should probably tell you that the captain is sick again"

"I see. It's been a while since the last time hasn't it?"

"Yeah. The last time was two or three months ago and you're probably not gonna like what I'm about to say..."

"What happened Kaien?"

The glare the younger gave him scared Kaien slightly.

"First of all I did try to stop him but he didn't listen. Because he returned to work before he was fully recovered."

"What? He knows that's not good of him to do"

"That's why I'm glad you're back because he only seems to listen to you when you tell him to stay in bed."

"It's not about who says it but how you say it"

Then they reached the small lake were Ugendō was.

"You should return to work Kaien. I'll take care of this from here"

"Right"

Kaien started to walk back to the barracks while Katsurou walked towards the house. The closer he got, the better he heard the sound of coughing.

He walked inside and saw Jūshirō in his bed. He was covering his mouth with his hand and Katsurou could see blood drops between his fingers.

Once the coughing stopped, Katsurou walked up to his father and handed him a small towel to dry his hands on.

"Suro..."

"Hi dad"

Jūshirō was about to say something when he started coughing again. Katsurou stood up and walked away to get his father's medicine. Once the coughing stopped, Katsurou handed him two pills and some water. When Jūshirō had swallowed them, Katsurou helped him lay down before sitting down next to him.

"Thank you"

"No problem."

Both smiled at each other.

"Welcome home"

"Thanks. It's good to be back"

The two talked a little until Katsurou noticed that Jūshirō's eyes started to close.

"Get some sleep dad. I'll be back later to check on you.

-Because now when I'm home again you'll stay in bed until you're fully recovered. I don't want what Kaien told me to happen again"

"I told him not to tell you about that"

Katsurou chuckled and then smiled as his father closed his eyes and drifted of to sleep.

" _Feels good to be home"_

Katsurou then walked back to the barracks and to his room where he started to unpack.

Once he was done, he picked up his Zanpakutō and looked at it.

" _I'm finally a Soul Reaper"_

Katsurou then put it at his waist and walked outside.

There, he drew the sword from its scabbard and held it in front of him before he started to train on a few stances.

"Trying to train with your Zanpakutō?"

Katsurou turned around and saw Kaien.

"I thought you had work to do Kaien"

"Nothing I can't handle later"

He walked closer to Katsurou and looked at the sword in his hand.

"It's a pretty good Zanpakutō you got there. Do you know its name?"

"Yes. His name is Kuroi Ōkami"

"Black Wolf, an interesting name. Hey, wanna sparr against my Nejibana?"

"I can't fight you. You're a lieutenant and I'm a new member of the division. You're way stronger then me"

"Actually. I believe you're stronger than you think"

Kaien drew his sword and Katsurou looked confused at him.

"What do you mean Kaien?"

"Your father and I got to see the records from the academy a few days ago. You were in the top of your class in every subject so I think you're much stronger than what you say."

He then leaped towards Katsurou and the younger barely had time to block the attack. Kaien laughed as he leaped back.

"Okay you asked for it Kaien"

Katsurou ran towards him and their swords clashed several times. Until...

"Howl Towards The Shining Moon, Kuroi Ōkami"

Kaien got really surprised when Katsurou's sword turned pitch black with a purple hilt.

" _He activated his Shikai. The bond to his sword must be strong_

 _-_ Well, if you go Shikai, the I will as well. Rankle the seas and the heavens Nejibana _"_

Kaien twirled his sword and it took the form of a trident that he pointed at the younger Soul Reaper.

Katsurou then gripped the sword harder and black energy started to surround the blade.

" _Is that his reiatsu?"_

As Kaien looked at the sword, Katsurou leaped up and was just about to attack but he just landed and held the tip of the sword a bit from Kaien's throat.

"That's that lieutenant"

"You got me there"

Katsurou smirked before his sword turned back to its sealed form and he placed it in the scabbard again. Kaien did the same.

"See what I mean now kiddo, if you're not strong then how were you able to activate your Shikai just the day after you graduated"

"I guess you're right. Maybe I am stronger than I think"

"Told ya. How about you and I train a little every day then"

"Sure. But it will happen anyway since it's your job as lieutenant to train us new recruits"

"You're right"

Both laughed a bit at that before Kaien looked at Katsurou.

"Since you haven't gotten a position in the division yet I don't have any job for you right now. Except..."

"Making sure my father don't return to work until he has recovered"

"You got it."

"Don't worry. I'll handle that"

"Great"

"Speaking of my father's recovery. I was think about going the 4th to see captain Unohana since he seems to be out of medicine"

"Right"

"I'll be back later"

With that Katsurou, left Kaien to his work while he walked away from the barracks.

" _It's sure been a while since I walked around the Seireitei like this. Last time was before I started to attend the academy"_

"Katsurou is that you?"

Katsurou turned around and saw a large Soul Reaper with a captain Haori over his clothes, shoulder plates, armor on his arms and a helmet on his head.

"Sajin?"

"I knew it was you Katsurou, it's been so long since I last saw you"

"Before I attended the academy if I'm not mistaken"

"That's true and judging by the fact that you're dressed like that I'd say you've graduated."

"I did yesterday. Today is my first day back home.

-Oh I almost forgot, I know it's been a while since it happened but congratulations on becoming a captain"

"Thank you my boy. I should say the same to you for graduating from the Soul Reaper academy"

"Thanks Saj... I mean captain Komamura."

"You can still call me Sajin when it's just the two of us. We have known each other for a long time after all."

"Right"

"So are you just on a nostalgic stroll through the Seireitei or are you going somewhere special?"

"I'm actually on my way to the 4th division to see if captain Unohana has more medicine for my father"

"I see. Mind if I join you on the walk there?

"Sure"

So the two of them walked towards the 4th division. As they did, they talked about the times Sajin had looked after Katsurou when he was young and how fun they had had back then.

Soon they reached the 4th division.

"Well I need to return to my division now"

"Right. It was nice to see you again Sajin"

"Same for you. Come by the 7th division some day when you have time"

"I will, don't worry"

Even though he could see it, Katsurou knew Sajin smiled under his helmet. He then waved goodbye before he left Katsurou who walked inside the 4th.

He was lucky because right when he entered, he saw captain Unohana.

"Captain Unohana"

She turned around and looked at him.

"Katsurou is that you?"

"Yes."

"It's been a while since I saw you and seeing that you wear those clothes means you've officialy joined the Gotei 13"

"That's right. Today is my first day as a real member of the 13th division"

"I guess your father is very proud and happy to have you there"

"He is. Speaking of my father, I came to see if you have any more of his medicine"

"Is it running out?"

"Yeah. I gave him the last two earlier"

"Well you have a good timing since I made some more yesterday. I'll go get it for you"

"Right. I'll wait here"

Retsu gave him a smile before she walked away towards her office. She came back just a short while later and gave him a bottle.

"Here you go"

"Thank you"

"No problem. It's my job to help the sick and injured after all"

"Yeah. Speaking of helping the sick...Do you think you can teach me some healing Kidō?"

"Is it so you can help your father more when he gets really sick?"

"Most of the reason is him, yes. But I also want to know it in case my division is out on a mission and someone gets hurt"

"I see. You've always had such a kind heart Katsurou. You always put others before yourself so I understand your reason"

"So can you teach me?"

"I'll be more than happy to teach you healing Kidō. Come by here tomorrow after you've checked on your father and I'll teach you the basics."

"Thank you so much captain Unohana. I'll see you tomorrow then"

With that, Katsurou left the 4th and went home to the 13th again.

When he got back he walked down to Ugendō and was happy to see that his father was still asleep. He swiftly knelt next to the futon and felt Jūshirō's forehead before he sighed.

" _So it_ _ **is**_ _one of those times"_

He stood up and went to get a bowl of water and a cloth. He then knelt next to his father again, dipped the cloth in the water and placed it on Jūshirō's forehead.

" _I've always been good at seeing when it's one of those times he has a fever. I guess I was so happy to finally be home that I didn't noticed it"_

Katsurou sat there and watched over his father until he felt a familiar spiritual pressure get closer. Soon the door opened quietly and he didn't even have to turn around to know who it was.

"Sneaking away from work uncle Shunsui"

"Suro... Hey you're finally home kiddo"

"I am and you didn't answer what I asked"

"I'm not sneaking away. I just needed a break"

"Sure you did"

Shunsui knelt next to him and gave Katsurou a hard pat on the back before he looked at his best friend.

"So it's one of those time"

"Yeah. Can you watch over him for a while? I need to speak with Kaien and see if I can get something light for dad to eat when he wakes up"

"Leave it to me"

"Thanks uncle Shunsui"

Katsurou walked out and came back a while later carrying a tray that he placed one the small table in the room.

"So what did you talk to Kaien about?"

"That captain Unohana is gonna teach me some healing Kidō. I just wanted Kaien to know that I will be at the 4th for a few hours some days

-He said that it wouldn't be a problem since I don't have any position yet"

"I see"

The two just sat there and talked, mostly about Katsurou's time at the academy.

After a while Jūshirō opened his eyes and started to cough. Katsurou helped him sit up and stroke his hand over his father's back until the coughing stopped.

"Thank you Suro"

"No problem"

Jūshirō then noticed that his best friend sat there as well and gave him a smile.

"Sneaking away from work again, huh Shunsui"

"I just needed a break so I came here"

"Sure"

Katsurou just chuckled before he looked at his father.

"I assume asking if you can eat is a stupid question"

"You know me well"

Katsurou just smiled and placed some pillows behind his father's back before giving him some of the food that he had brought.

Once the tray was empty. Katsurou handed Jūshirō a cup of tea. The trio then just sat there and talked until Shunsui decided to return to his division before his lieutenant would come looking for him

 _ **The day after that, Katsurou began his training under captain Unohana.**_

"You sure you're okay for now dad?"

"Yes. Don't worry"

"Good. I asked Kaien to check in on you in an hour or so"

"You going somewhere?"

"Well, Captain Unohana agree to teach me healing Kidō so I'm going over to the 4th divison for a few hours"

"I see"

Katsurou then got up and walked outside and used Flash Step to get to the 4th.

"Good morning captain Unohana"

"Good morning too you as well Katsurou. Everything okay with your father?"

"Yes. He was feeling a bit better but the fever is still there"

"I see. Shall we get started with your training then?"

"Yes ma'am"

Retsu led Katsurou down the hall to a room were a doll laid on a table.

"I guess you recognize this from the academy"

"Yes, the class in healing Kidō used those"

"That's right. I use them as well for my new members so they can train their healing without risking of messing things up"

"I see"

"I've already gone ahead and placed an injury in its right arm that I want you to try and heal. Do you remember anything more the academy taught you?"

"That it's easier to restore spirit energy if the body is in a fully healed state. As in case for the wounds, the healing starts with restoring spirit energy, that way the healer's external energy and the patient's restored energy can attempt to heal the wound"

"Very good. We're gonna start easy so the doll already has spirit energy in it. All you have to do is focus your spirit energy on the injury"

"Okay"

"Let's get started then"

"Right"

Katsurou walked up to the doll and placed his hands over its right arm.

"Now, focus your spirit energy on your hands and try to connect it with the spirit energy in the doll to heal the injury"

Katsurou nodded and took a deep breath before he started to focus his spirit energy so it surrounded his hands with a green glow.

But it soon died down and disappeared which disapointed him.

"Don't worry Katsurou. Take it easy and try again"

"Right"

He focused on his hands and they glowed green again. This time it stayed there for a little longer but soon disappeared again.

For about two hours, he tried and failed as the energy kept vanishing from around his hands.

But after all those fails, Katsurou managed to keep the energy around his hands for much longer than earlier.

Retsu then walked over to him and checked his work. A smile appeared on her face as she lifted her hand.

"There are still a few cracks here and there but it's very well done for your first time"

"Thank you captain Unohana"

Retsu folded her hands in front of her and started to walk towards the door and Katsurou followed her.

"I'd say that's enough for today"

"Right. I'll see you tomorrow again captain"

"We do"

Katsurou walked out of the 4th division and Flash Stepped back to the 13th, happy with how his first day of training healing Kidō had turned out.

 _ **But it was not only Unohana that he trained with.**_

A week after his healing Kidō training started, Katsurou was walking around the Seireitei. Retsu had urgent things to take care of that day so they had decided to move his training to another day.

" _What to do now then?"_

"Hey Suro"

Katsurou looked behind him and saw no other than his best friend.

"Shūhei"

"What's up?"

"Nothing at the moment. I was supposed to train healing Kidō with Captain Unohana but she had a lot of injured to take care of"

"Wow, being taught by someone like Captain Unohana must be an honor"

"It actually is. I never thought she would say yes when I asked if she could teach me"

"I see. So, do you wanna come by my division a bit?"

"Sure"

So Katsurou followed Shūhei to the 9th division were they saw the captain come towards them.

"Hello Shūhei"

"Oh Captain Tōsen. Good morning"

"Who's your friend?"

"This is Katsurou Ukitake, my best friend. Suro this is my captain, Kaname Tōsen"

"A pleasure to meet you captain"

"Same for you. I've heard a lot about you from Shūhei, he's always saying such good things about you. But I didn't expect anything else from the son of the 13th division captain.

-I've also heard some things about you from Sajin, a good friend of mine. He's told me that you are the first one since the head-captain to see and accept his appearance. Is that true?"

"Yes sir. For me it didn't matter what he looked like under that mask, it's the inside that counts"

A slight smile spread over the captain's face and he bowed his head slightly.

"I thank you for accepting my friend with that thought in mind"

"It was nothing"

Kaname then left the two since he had a meeting to attend.

"So what did you want to do Shūhei?"

"I was thinking Hakuda training"

"Sound good to me"

The two walked to the 9th division training ground were they walked a bit away from each other.

"Ready Suro"

"Always"

The two then ran towards each other and Shūhei tried to kick Katsurou but he used both arms to block. He then pushed Shūhei back before he tried to kick him instead but his friend leaped back.

They then tired again but this time, their kicks meet and both tried to use their other leg to attack but they collided again, pushing the two away from each other.

"Come on Shūhei, I know you can do better than that"

"I was just about to say the same thing to you"

They once again charged at each other and blocked each others attacks quite well.

They kept on going for quite a while and didn't notice when their captains arrived.

"I think that's enough boys, said Kaname"

Both turned towards their captains in surprise before stopping their sparring.

"I must say, you two seem very skilled in Hakuda"

"It was one of few classes we enjoyed so I guess our skills is quite good due to that, said Shūhei"

"It's always easier to learn something you like rather than something you dislike, said Jūshirō"

"I guess it's true, at least for us, said Katsurou

-Or what do you say Shūhei?"

"I agree with you Suro"

The two friends smiled at each other.

"Katsurou, shall we head back to our divsion, Jūshirō asked"

"Yes da... captain"

"How about we pick up were we left some other day, said Shūhei"

"Sure. Maybe you can come to the 13th next time"

"I'll think about it"

The father-son duo then left the 9th division and returned to the 13th.

 _ **The last person he trained with was Sajin.**_

It was a beautiful day in the Seireitei when Katsurou made his way to the 7th division. Sajin had after all asked him to come by once he had the time.

He walked through the gate to the division grounds were he found Sajin and his lieutenant finishing up training with their men.

Once those two were the only ones left, Katsurou walked over to them.

"Captain Komamura"

"Ah Katsurou. How nice of you to visit"

"You did say that I should come by when I have the time. So since I didn't have anything to do, I decided to come here"

"I see"

Sajin then turned to his lieutenant.

"Cover work for a few hours"

"Of course sir"

Sajin then led Katsurou from the barracks to the field were the two of them spent much time in the past. There, the captain took of his helmet and shook out his fur.

"Are you still scared to show your face?"

"Yes. One day I hope to show it but now when I'm a captain, I'm afraid of what my men would think if they saw that I am not human"

"I understand. So why did you bring me here?"

"I want the two of us to spar"

"Are you serious Sajin?"

"Yes. I want to see how strong you've become since you graduated from the academy"

"Sajin you're a captain and I'm not even a seated officer yet"

"That doesn't matter here. There is also another reason why we're doing this"

"And that reason is?"

"I wish to train you so you get strong enough to stand up against attacks from enemies or Hollows that might be bigger and stronger than you.

-You're probably gonna say that it's nothing but I want to repay you for the kindness and friendship you've shown me through the years we've known each other"

"There's no need to repay me for being your friend Sajin. I'm your friend because I like you as a person and your appearance won't change that. It's the inside that counts after all

-But I acutally won't say no to some training since you offer it"

"Let's go then"

Sajin walked a bit away from him and drew his sword.

"Ready?"

"Yeah. Let's do this Sajin"

Katsurou then drew his own sword. He held it in front of him and took a deep breath.

"Howl Towards The Shining Moon Kuroi Ōkami"

The Zanpakutō took on its released form which seemed to impress Sajin.

"I see you've mastered your Shikai"

"Yes"

"That will make things eaiser... Tenken!"

Sajin swung his sword and a phantom arm appeared that Katsurou barley had the chance to block. But even though he did manage to do that, it was incredibly strong and he got pushed to the ground.

"Do you understand Suro? There might come a day when you're up against an enemy as big and strong as Tenken so teaching you to stand up against such force isn't a bad thing"

The young Soul Reaper got back up on his feet and brushed some dirt off him.

"Not that I believe something that will happen anytime soon"

"What was that?"

"Nothing. But can we start with you being the one attacking and not your Shikai. I mean, I became a Soul Reaper not that long ago while you're a captain so you are stronger than me already"

"Alright"

Sajin swung his sword a bit and it went back to its sealed form. He then charged towards Katsurou who blocked som attacks before he was brought down on one knee.

"Stand up Suro! Fight back against my strength and push away my blade from you"

Katsurou focused and slowly started to get back up as the black energy around his sword grew bigger. He then managed to push Sajin's sword to the side so he could leap away from the wolf.

He then got on one knee again and panted slightly before looking at the captain.

"That was a good job Suro"

"Thanks. I didn't think I could do it at first but something in me said that I should try. You're just as strong as I imagined"

Sajin smiled and put his sword back in its scabbard before helping Katsurou stand up.

"I'd say that's enough for today. You've shown me that you might master this without a problem after some more training"

"If you say so"

"I don't know how often we can train but I'll send a Hell Butterfly when I can"

"Sounds good to me"

Katsurou then put his sword back in its scabbard and Sajin put on his helmet before they went back to the 7th division were they sat down and talk for a while.

 _ **Three months later: 13 the division.**_

"Alright newbies listen up, said Kaien

-It has taken longer time than usual but the captain and I have looked over your skills and results from the academy and three of you are actually gonna be placed as seated officers"

Everyone sat silent as Kaien said the first two names.

"The third and last of you to become a seated officer is Katsurou Ukitake, who's gonna become our 4th seat"

Katsurou couldn't believe it at first but he did remember Kaien's words, he was stronger than he thought. Plus, the training from Sajin had sure increased his strength to be at the level of a seated officer.

 _ **With his new position came of course a lot of work, he mostly worked very close to Kaien or his wife Miyako Shiba who was the division's 3rd seat.**_

 _ **But on days when he didn't have to much work, Katsurou would sneak away and train by himself on the field he and Sajin always went to.**_

Two months had now passed since his promotion to 4th seat and Katsurou was training on his own when suddenly, his Zanpakutō glowed.

When the light died down, a man with long black hair dressed in a grey kimono stood there. Katsurou couldn't help but notice his tail, that his feet looked like paws and that he had wolf ears on top of his head.

"Kuroi is that you?"

"Yes. I can change from my wolf form to this human form whenever I want"

"I see. So what brought you here?"

"I'm not sure but it seems your spirit energy was strong enough to manifest me.

-But while I'm here there's something I want to do"

"What's that?"

"You've been training hard on your own these days. I want to test out your abilities"

"Okay. How do you want to do it?"

"Like this"

The black energy that surrounded Kuroi's hands went on either side of him and transformed into copies of him.

"I want you to find the real me among these clones I've made. But it's not going to be as easy as you may think since we'll be hiding in the shadows"

"Right. Let's do it Kuroi"

Kuroi nodded before he and the clones vanished.

" _Search the shadows. Well that's easier said than done"_

Katsurou went so he stood in the middle of the area before closing his eyes, searching for Kuroi's spiritual pressure.

After a moment, he opened them and leaped towards a rock.

"I got you"

Kuroi rose from the shadows but when Katsurou cut him, it was revealed to be one of the clones.

" _Damn it"_

 **"It's not going to be that easy, master. The clones are parts of me so they share my spiritual pressure. Sensing it may lead you to one of them"**

 _"Okay think Katsurou, there has to be a way to find the real one"_

For hours he leaped towards every shadow he could see but the once coming from them had been the clones.

" **That's enough for today master. We'll continue the next time you come here to train on your own"**

"Right"

 _ **For the weeks that followed, Katsurou went back to that field when he had the time and Kuroi would keep hiding in the shadows along with his clones.**_

 _"Come on. I've been looking through every shadow here for weeks now and Kuroi isn't hiding in any of them"_

Katsurou sat down on a rock to catch his breath after running around for two hours, searching for the real Kuroi. As he sat there he looked down at his own shadow.

" _Wait a minute. Could it really be that simple?"_

He picked up his sword and struck it into his shadow so Kuroi leaped out of it.

"You figured it out. Well done master"

"I thought you hiding in my shadow was too obvious so that's why I never checked until now"

"Sometimes the simplest answer can be the right one"

"You're right"

"So are you ready for step 2?"

"What's that?"

Kuroi held out his hand and a sword appeared it.

"I wish for the two of us to have a sparring match"

"Sure"

Both of them took on battle stances before they ran towards each other and their blades clashed. It wasn't that even since Kuroi was a bit more powerful than his master so Katsurou got pushed away quite a few times.

After a while, Katsurou was on his knees, panting.

"Let's stop for today master"

"Right"

Kuroi walked up to him and held out his hand which Katsurou took and Kuroi help him up on his feet. The spirit then disappeared back into the sword.

 _ **A few days later.**_

Katsurou and Kuroi were once again sparring against each other. Unlike the previous days, Katsurou had gotten better at dodging attacks from his Zanpakutō.

"You've gotten better, master"

"I guess I didn't want to be knocked around by my own Zanpakutō"

Kuroi chuckled at that and they continued their sparring match until Katsurou managed to land a hit that knocked Kuroi back.

"Guess I win this time"

"You do. Good job master"

Kuroi then got up and right as he stood up, spirit energy surrounded Katsurou.

Once it had died down, he stood there with a black wolf pelt over his shoulders. His sword had split into two, one recembling his sealed Zanpakutō and the other his Shikai. His feet were surrounded by some sort of black energy which made them look like wolf paws.

"What is this?"

"That my master is the power known as Bankai"

"Bankai... So this is what that is"

"Yes. It's the second and strongest form you can gain with my power. It usually takes a Soul Reaper ten or more years to both achieve and master it"

"I've heard that it takes long to master it but that I was able to achieve it after a few weeks of training against you"

"That's because your spirit energy was strong enough to manifest me here. Manifestation is the first part to achieve Bankai.

-The second part is subjugation which you achieved just now when you defeated me"

"So that's how I was able to do it"

"Yes. But even though you have achieved it, you're going to have to train hard in order to master the abilites your Bankai holds"

"Yeah I know what you mean. Fighting with dual swords is gonna be really different to do and difficult to learn"

"Doesn't you father have dual Zanpakutō?"

"Now when you say it, he does. Shunsui too"

"Then maybe they can help you train in how to use those dual swords"

"That's not a bad idea"

Katsurou then deactivated his Bankai and put his Zanpakutō back in its scabbard before Flash Stepping to the 13th.

"Hey Suro were have you been, Kaien asked"

"Just doing some training on my own"

"You've done that a lot lately"

"Just when I get the time. Since I got promoted to 4th seat I've had a lot to do here. So I take every chance I get to train"

"I see. Take a ten minute break then before you get back to you duties"

"Thanks Kaien"

So Katsurou walked to the part of the barracks were the members of the divsion gathered to eat. There, he got himself some tea and went to sit outside the barracks.

After his break was over, he went back inside to attend to his duties as a seated officer until Kaien came.

"Hey Suro, the captain is back from the meeting. Do you think you can make some tea for him?"

"Sure"

Katsurou made the tea and walked to his father's office with it.

"Hey dad, Kaien thought you'd like some tea"

"Thank you Suro"

Katsurou walked over to the desk and put down the cup he was carrying.

"I heard you were away from the barracks earlier"

"Yeah, I was doing some training on my own and I did happen to get a new power"

"What was that?"

Katsurou looked at his father and smirked.

"How about tomorrow, you come with me to were I was training and I'll show you"

"Sure"

 _ **Next day**_

Once they both had done all the work for the morning, Katsurou led his father to the field were he trained.

"Ready to see what I acchieved yesterday?"

"Yes. Show me Suro"

"Right"

Katsurou drew his sword and held it out. He took a deep breath before grabbing the handle with both hands.

"Bankai...KageKuroi Ōkami"

As soon as the word was said, Katsurou was surrounded by spirt energy and once it died down, he stood there in his Bankai.

"This is the power I acchieved yesterday"

"You've acchieved Bankai"

"Yeah..."

"That's amazing Suro. You're the first 4th seat to ever acchieve it"

"Really?"

"Yes, no one below lieutenant status has had enough spirit energy or strong enough bond to their Zanpakutō to even begin the training to acchieve it"

"I guess Kuroi and I have a stronger bond than most others then"

"I believe so"

Jūshirō then took a step back to get a good look on his son's Bankai.

"It doesn't look like much but I'm sure it will have some good abilites once you've mastered it"

"Speaking of abilites... Do you think that you and Shunsui can teach me how to fight with two swords?"

"Of course. I'd be more than happy to help you and I'm sure Shunsui will say the same"

"Thanks dad"

Jūshirō smiled at him and Katsurou deactivated his Bankai before the two returned to their division were they found non-other than Shunsui.

"Why are you here Shun?"

"Just needed a break from work"

"As usual, said Katsurou"

The trio then walked down to Ugendō were they could talk without being disturbed.

"So where were the two of you when I got here?"

"Suro wanted to show me the result of his training"

"And what's that?"

Katsurou smirked and told the two in detail how he had acchieved his Bankai.

"I was hopping that the two of you could help me with my training since you two are the only Soul Reapers with dual Zanpakutō"

"I've already told him that I'll be more than happy to help. So what do you say Shunsui?"

"Of course I'll help. Do you really think I'd say no to helping the kid I've watch grow up master his new powers"

"Thanks a lot Shunsui, dad"

The two captains looked at him and smiled.

 _ **And so, Katsurou started to train with the two in order to master his new dual wielding Bankai.**_

 _ **Shunsui began Katsurou's training by teaching him how to wield a sword in his left hand before going over to one in each hand.**_

 _ **Jūshirō's training was more about controlling the spirit energy of his new powers as well as how to use his dual swords in both defensive and offensive ways.**_

 _ **Note:**_

 _ **Kuroi is a darkness type Zanpakutō.**_

 _ **Maybe they can't learn Bankai so soon after graduating but Kuroi seems to think his master was ready so...**_


	4. Chapter 4: A new lieutenant

_**A few years after Katsurou joined the 13th, a new member was going to be welcomed to the division. Rumors said she was a part of the nobel Kuchiki family and sister to its leader, Byakuya.**_

Katsurou had just left a few papers to his father and was walking down the hall when he heard Kaien's voice from a room.

"In fact, it's not a problem if you forgot every now and then and adressed me as captain Kaien"

Katusurou smirked and leaned against the doorframe.

"Don't give the poor girl any ideas Kaien"

"You know I was just kidding Katsurou."

"Sure you were"

Katsurou walked into the room and looked at the girl. She was short with black hair and purple eyes. He then remembered that he had seen her at the Soul Reaper academy a few years earlier.

"Rukia this is Katsurou. He's the 4th seat of our division and you better treat him well since he's the son of our captain"

"Of course. It's nice to meet you 4th seat Ukitake."

"There is no need to be so polite with me Rukia. I'm just a member of the division like anyone else here.

-So please call me Katsurou or just Suro."

"Okay"

"Hey Suro, can you please show her around the division, Kaien asked."

"Sure. Come with me Rukia"

Rukia followed him out of the room and he showed her around the barracks. As they walked, Rukia was so focused on what Katsurou was saying that she didn't notice that she walked right into someone.

She looked up to see who she had walked into and knew just by looking at the Haori that she had walked right into a captain.

"I'm so sorry. I didn't see were I was going"

"It's okay"

"Ah captain Aizen. It's been a while"

"It has Katsurou"

"I guess you're here to talk with my father"

"Yes, is he busy right now?"

"Not at all. I left a few papers to him a short while ago but I believe he has time to talk with you.

-Do you want me to show you to his office?"

"That would be kind of you"

"Right. I'll be right back Rukia so wait here"

"Yes sir"

"This way captain"

Rukia watched as they walked down the hall and just a moment later, Katsurou returned and they continued.

"Was that man really a captain?"

"Yes. That was captain Sōsuke Aizen of the 5th division. He is a very kind man. And you can kinda say I owe him since he save my life once"

"He saved your life"

"Yes. When I was in my sixth year at the Soul Reaper academy, I was tasked to lead an exercise for the first years along with my best friend and two others. Right when we were about to finish everything, a giant real Hollow appeared and attacked us. Our friend Kanisawa got killed while my best friend and our other friend, Aoga got injured.

-My best friend and I tried to fight back against the Hollow to save the first years and right when it was about to attack us, three brave first years came and helped us. We managed to blind it but we ran into a bunch of other Hollows. It was then captain Aizen and his lieutenant Gin Ichimaru came and saved us"

"I see"

"I owe captain Aizen for that. If not for him, I might have died back there."

They then walked outside were Katsurou saw two people sitting against a tree with two empty Sake bottles next to them.

"Rukia wait here"

Katsurou walked up to the two and glared at them before he slapped them on the head. Rukia just watched as the two held their heads in pain.

Then Kaien came.

"There you two are. I've been looking for you"

"Lieutenant"

"Thanks for finding them Suro"

"No problem. I just saw them as I was showing Rukia around so I figured I better wake them up"

"Right. Kiyone, Sentarō you two are coming with me right now!"

Kaien grabbed the two officers by the collars of their uniforms and dragged them with him.

"Who were those two, Rukia asked"

Katsurou sighed and crossed his arms.

"Kiyone Kotetsu and Sentarō Kotsubaki, two officers here in the division. They have a habit of drinking while on duty so Kaien and I usually do what I just did or throw water on them to sober them up and make them go back to work."

Rukia giggled a little and it made Katsurou smile. He had thought that she seemed so uneasy earlier but now she seemed more relaxed.

 _ **Some time after Rukia joined the 13th division, they got reports on a mysterious Hollow that had taken the lives of many Soul Reapers. Miyako, Kaien's wife was sent out along with four others to investigate.**_

It started to get dark and the recon team still hadn't returned. Kaien was speaking with Katsurou and Jūshirō about it when Rukia came in with some tea.

"Rukia is there any report yet from the recon team."

"I'm afraid not captain. They still haven't returned."

Then Sentarō opened the doors.

"Sir the recon team. There's bad news."

All four in the room followed him to were another Soul Reaper were tending to Miyako's wounds. Kaien looked at his wife, worried but got to know that her life wasn't in danger. Jūshirō then asked about the other four and they got to know that all four was dead.

Later that night Jūshirō and Katsurou were talking about the events.

"I can't believe everyone in the recon team got wiped out by a singel Hollow.

-How strong do you think it could be, dad?"

"I'm not sure but we need to be careful if it shows up again so what happened today won't happen again"

Suddenly, they heard screams and ran to check were they came from. The two of them along with Rukia were shocked to see that Miyako were killing members of the division. She was just about to attack them when Kaien came.

"Stop it Miyako."

Miyako stopped and started to act weird before she jumped over them and went to the other side of the barracks. There they heard screams and headed after her to find even more dead Soul Reapers.

"I can't believe Miyako did this, said Katsurou."

"Oh Kaien, said Rukia"

"Let me go after her captain. She couldn't have gotten very far sir."

"No don't, think about it Kaien. Following her is exactly what the enemy wants you to do."

"That may be but it's still the only option. This monster that's controlling Miyako used her to kill her own men, men who trusted her. Miyako's honor has been defiled.

-You must let me go captain!"

"Very well. I shall go with you."

"What you captain?"

Kaien looked surprised at the captain who nodded.

"Rukia and Katsurou you two are coming as well."

"Yes sir"

"Sentarō and Kiyone seal off this area and call the squad to their battle stations."

"Understood sir"

"Let's go"

With that Jūshirō, Rukia, Kaien and Katsurou started to run towards the forest were Miyako had gone.

Once they had gotten a bit into the forest they found what looked like a kosode hanging from a branch. Kaien was just about to grab it when tentacles came out of nowhere. All four got away and stood on a branch of a large tree.

They all looked down at a green Hollow with tentacles on its back and flame like markings around the eyes of its mask.

"I'll go first sir"

But before Rukia could do anything, Kaien took a step towards.

"Captain I beg of you. Permission to go fight it alone."

The captain gave his permission and Kaien jumped down so he was in front of the Hollow. They watched as Kaien tried to fight the Hollow without his sword until he got knocked away. Rukia got ready to help him but was stopped by Jūshirō.

"Captain, Kaien has been disarmed. We have to help him."

"But if we were to step in now what would become of Kaien's pride.

-Even by going to his aid, you're somehow succesful in saving his life. The cost of such an act would certanly be the death of his pride forever."

"That doesn't make any sence captain. What good is pride to a man if he's dead?"

"Listen now and remember these words.

-There are two kinds of battles and those of us who've choosen to be warriors and to fight those battles must always be aware of the difference between the two. There are battles that are fought to protect lives and there are battles that are fought to protect honor."

"What the captain is trying to say Rukia is that right now Kaien is fighting with all his heart and soul to protect honor. Not only his own honor but the honor of his men who died and above all...the honor of his beloved wife"

Rukia let go of her Zanpakutō and they looked down at the battle again.

Suddenly, something happened with the Hollow. The tentacles left its back and went towards Kaien. It got onto his arm and into his body while the body of the Hollow crumbled.

"Lieutenant Kaien..."

"What is it girl?"

When Kaien turned towards them his skin was green, his eyes hollow and around them was the same markings as on the Hollow's mask.

Then he jumped towards Rukia but both Jūshirō and Katsurou used their Zanpakutō to block him.

"Captain, Katsurou."

"Rukia get out of here."

"You heard the captain. Run away now Rukia!"

Rukia got onto her feet and ran away while the other two fought the Hollow.

"Why aren't you attacking me Soul Reapers? I think I know what you two are waiting for.

-You're trying to think of a way to rip me out of this body so you can still save your friend. But this is different from human possession since we're both spirit beings and now when our spirits are united it can never be undone."

Then, both Jūshirō and Katsurou attacked the Hollow. One of them sliced the side of its throat while the other hit the shoulder.

"Then you leave us no choice. We'll kill his body with you inside it."

"Are you two insane? What Soul Reapers would slay one of their own men?"

"Lieutenant Shiba no longer exists. We won't let a monster like you have his body."

Then both attacked again but the Hollow jumped away from them.

"Coward!"

Then Jūshirō fell to his knees, coughing blood.

 _"_ Dad"

"Katsurou...stop...the Hollow"

"Right. Howl Towards The Shining Moon Kuroi Ōkami"

-Kage Pakku."

Katsurou's sword took on its released form before black wolves came from the energy around the blade as well as the darkness around them and surrounded the Hollow. Katsurou then jumped and tried to cut the head but the Hollow jumped away and ran into the forest again.

It was after Rukia who had turned around and cofme back.

"Rukia you idiot! You were supposed to run away!"

Katsurou quickly helped his father get up and they ran after the Hollow to try and stop it from getting to Rukia.

As the Hollow got close to her, she held out her Zanpakutō to defend herself and the Hollow ended up getting impaled by the sword.

Then, Kaien somehow regained control of his body as the captain and Katsurou reached them.

"My captain...thank you...for understanding and...for letting me fight...to the end.

-Rukia...I apologize to you for getting you involved...in all of this in the first place. I know this was painful. But thanks to you...I'm saved...Now I can still leave my heart here."

Then Kaien's hand got limp and he died. Rukia put her free hand on his back and started to cry as the rain fell over them.

Jūshirō and Katsurou watched as Rukia cried over Kaien until Katsurou walked up to them and gently pulled Kaien's body away from Rukia's sword.

Rukia looked up at the clam but still sad look in Katsurou's eyes as he lowered Kaien onto the ground. Both of them then heard coughing and looked at the captain who fell to his knees. They could see blood between the fingers of the hand that he covered his mouth with.

Katsurou quickly moved over to his father's side and placed an arm around him to help him stand up. He then looked down at Rukia.

"Katsurou please don't worry about me. Take the captain back to the barracks. I'll take Kaien to his family"

"If you're sure that you can handle it then I'll allow it."

"Thank you"

Katsurou then quickly Flash Stepped back to the barracks were Kiyone and Sentarō came up to him and asked what had happened.

"I'll explain later. Kiyone call for captain Unohana. Sentarō gather the others."

"Yes sir"

The two disappeared to do as they were ordered to do. As they did that, Katsurou carried his father to his room. Once he had placed Jūshirō on the futon, his hand glowed with healing Kidō.

Just a short while later, Retsu came and took over the healing. While she did that, Katsurou walked to the room were the whole division was gathered.

"4th seat Ukitake what happened?"

"Were is the lieutenant?"

"Everyone calm down and I'll tell you what happened."

Katsurou explained everything to them. How Kaien bravely fought the Hollow on his own to try and protect the honor of so many people, how the Hollow had taken over his body and forced him to attack them, how he and the captain tried to defeat it and how Kaien had died.

"Our division lost two great people tonight. 3rd seat Miyako Shiba and her husband, lieutenant Kaien Shiba.

-Once the captain is back on his feet, a new lieutenant will probably be choosen. Until then, let's all work together, we can't lose hope just because our lieutenant is gone."

"Hope is the symbol of our division."

"That's right Kiyone. Our division flower, the snowdrop represents hope so let's keep it up even after this terrible day."

"Yes sir"

Everyone stood up and left the room. Once Katsurou left, he meet captain Unohana in the hallway.

"That was a good speech"

"Thank you captain.

-How's my father?"

"He'll be just fine but needs to stay in bed for the rest of this week."

"I understand"

Retsu smiled and put her hand on the young man's shoulder.

"I'm sorry for the lost of your lieutenant. Kaien was a great man"

"Thank you captain Unohana. I better go and tell dad what I told the others"

"You should"

"Thank you again"

Katsurou bowed in respect before he walked to his father's room.

Once he got there, he quietly opened the door and saw that Jūshirō was awake. The white-haired captain turned his head towards his son and gave him a small smile as he knelt next to him.

"Did you tell the division?"

"Yes. I told them everything that happened back there. How Kaien fought the Hollow, how it took over him and how he died"

"Did you mention that it was Rukia's blade that killed him?"

"I did but I said that she did it to defend herself against the Hollow. So the others won't blame her at least.

-They all understood that it was the Hollow's fault that Kaien died and not hers"

"That's good. But I'm afraid she'll blame herself a lot for this"

"I have the same feeling"

Katsurou then noticed that his father started to look tired.

"Get some rest dad. Captain Unohana won't let you get back to work until the start of next week and I'm gonna make sure you follow her orders"

"Like you always do Suro"

Katsurou smirked a little before Jūshirō closed his eyes and drifted of to sleep.

 **A week later.**

Jūshirō and Shunsui were sitting on the porch outside the 13th division and watched how Katsurou were helping the members train.

"He sure has taken Kaien's job to his heart"

"You're right. Suro worked really close to Kaien so he knows what do to and how to do it."

"Do you think he'll appreciate what you're going to do?"

"We'll see later. But my son has potential to be even greater than Kaien. I'm glad the other captains agreed with me on that"

"They know just as well as you and I that your kid has what is needed for a lieutenant. Maybe even a bit more than the others, excluding my dear Nanao of course"

Both chuckled before they looked up and saw the training wrap up and how all members bowed to thank Katsurou.

"Well I better get going before Nanao comes looking for me. See ya later Jūshirō"

"We do Shunsui."

 **Just a few hours later** , the whole division was gathered and waited for the captain. Most of them were talking to each other about what they thought the captain was gonna talk about.

Then, Jūshirō entered the room and looked at everyone.

"Thank you for gathering everyone. As you know, today marks a week since our division lost not only our 3rd seat but also our lieutenant. It's a great lost but we can't lose our hope and grive them forever.

-During the time I've recovered, I've thought on who to take their place and reached a decision"

He looked at all his men until his eyes landed on two certain individuals.

"Kiyone Kotetsu and Sentarō Kotsubaki, the two of you will work together as co-3rd seats."

"Thank you so much sir. We won't dissapoint you"

"Good. As for the position of lieutenant...Our division's new lieutenant is none other than 4th seat Katsurou"

Katsurou looked up at his father with a shocked and confused expression. First he thought all others would think bad about it since he is the captain's son but to his surprise, everyone started to applaud for him.

"Come up here Katsurou"

He slowly got up from were he sat and walked up so he stood opposite Jūshirō who held out a badge like the one Kaien used to wear.

"This is now yours. Do your best to help the division"

"I will. Thank you captain, I won't disappoint you"

"I know you won't"

Both smiled as Katsurou took the lieutenant badge and put it on his left arm. Everyone else in the room cheered a bit for him.

 _ **A few days after Katsurou's promotion, he was called to a meeting at the 1st division. It wasn't really a meeting but more a chance for the other lieutenants to welcome him.**_

Once he reached the 1st division he meet a silver/grey haired man with the 1st division badge on his arm.

"You must be the new lieutenant of the 13th division"

"That's right. I'm Katsurou Ukitake"

"Nice to meet you. I'm Chōjirō Sasakibe, the 1st division lieutenant.

-Come with me, the others are waiting"

Katsurou followed Sasakibe into a room were ten other people waited.

"Everyone settle down. The new guy is here so introduce yourselves."

The all stopped talking and turned towards the two.

"I'm Marechiyo Ōmaeda of the 2nd division"

"I'm Izuru Kira and I became the lieutenant of the 3rd division not that long ago"

"My name is Isane Kotetsu and I'm the lieutenant of the 4th division"

"I'm the lieutenant of the 5th division, Momo Hinamori"

"My name is Ginjirō Shirogane and my division is the 6th"

"Tetsuzaemon Iba of the 7th division"

"My name is Nanao Ise, lieutenant of the 8th"

"Shūhei Hisagi of the 9th division"

Katsurou couldn't help but smile at seeing his best friend.

" _So you've become a lieutenant too Shūhei"_

"Hello there. I'm Rangiku Matsumoto and I'm lieutenant of the 10th"

"Yachiru Kusajishi of the 11th division that's meeeee"

"It's really nice to meet all of you. My name is Katsurou Ukitake and I'm the new lieutenant of the 13th division"

After about an hour, the lieutenants left the meeting room and once the others had gotten a bit away, Shūhei threw himself onto his best friend.

"Shūhei get off me, he laughed"

"Why didn't you tell me you had been promoted, you sly fox"

"Well, a lot of things has happened in my division for the past week so I guess I didn't find the time to tell you"

Shūhei smirked and let go of Katsurou.

"Well, I'm happy for you. You deserve it"

"Thanks"

"You know, it's been a while since we last saw each other since we've both been busy with work. So do you wanna go to a cafe and catch up on what has happened since last time we meet?"

"Sorry but I can't. My father and I are going to see Kaien's siblings to see how they're doing after his death"

"That's kind of you"

"You know my father. Kindness is a big part of him"

"I know. Then how about having our lunch break together tomorrow instead?"

"Sure"

"Make sure to remember that"

"Don't worry my friend. I'll remember it"

The two then split up and went back to their divisions and once he got to the 13th, Katsurou walked to his father's office.

"I'm back"

"Did everything go well?"

"Yeah, the other lieutenants were very welcoming"

"That's good"

Jūshirō then got a serious expression on his face.

"We better go to the Shiba house, I've heard that they never stay in the same place for too long. We should go now so we're back before it gets dark"

"Yeah"

They made sure to instruct their 3rd, 4th and 5th seat on what to do until they returned before they went to the gate that led to west Rukongai.

"Welcome to Rukongai captain and lieutenant of the 13th divison"

"Thank you Jidanbō"

They two then Flash Stepped towards the countryside.

They soon saw a house in the distance with two giant stones arms on each side of it. As they got closer, they saw that the arms were holding up a banner with "Kūkaku Shiba" written on it.

"Looks like we found their home"

"Yes. Let's go Katsurou"

They walked closer to the house but once they reached it, two large men appeared in front of them.

"What do you want Soul Reapers?"

"We're here to speak with Kūkaku Shiba, said Jūshirō"

"What buisness do you have with the master of the Shiba house?"

"We just want to see how she's doing after Kaien's death a week ago"

Suddenly, someone flung the door open and charged their fist as the two.

"Bakudō #8 Seki"

Katsurou quickly got in front of Jūshirō and the fist clashed with the blue orb that had formed in front of his hand. The person that had tried to attack them was then sent flying back slightly.

They looked at the person and saw that it was a women.

"You must be Kūkaku, Kaien's younger sister, said Jūshirō"

"How dare you speak his name after what happend! My brother trusted you Soul Reapers, especially you, his captain!"

"Mrs Shiba, the captain and I came here because of what happened a week ago, said Katsurou

-We came here to see how you were doing since his death and if you want, we can tell you the full story of what happened"

Kūkaku looked at the two before turning to the men behind her.

"Koganehiko, Shiroganehiko"

"Yes master"

"Find Ganju and make sure he stays away until I'm done talking to these two"

"Of course"

Koganehiko followed the trio into the house and right before they entered a room, Katsurou caught the glimpse of a boy that stuck his head out from around a corner.

" _Must be their little brother. Maybe he heard Kūkaku yell at us and wondered what was going on"_

The door to the room then closed and Kūkaku sat down among some pillows while the two Soul Reapers sat down in seiza a bit from her.

"So, tell me how my brother died and why that Soul Reaper that came here said it was her fault"

The two told her everything that had happened the night Kaien died.

Once their story was done, both got into deep bows.

"We're really sorry over your brother's passing. Please accept this apology from us, not only as Kaien's captain and subordinate but also as the current and next head of the Ukitake family"

The two remained in their bowing for a while to really show Kūkaku how sorry they were.

"Get up you two!"

They lifted their heads and looked at Kūkaku who's expression had gone a little softer than when they arrived.

"I accept your apology and I'm grateful that you came all this way to tell me the whole story"

She then stood up and walked over to them as the two stood up as well. Her eyes were mostly turned to the captain

"I don't blame you two for not stepping in to help him. Kaien told me a while back that you believe in that "two kinds of battle" thing and that you teach your men about it.

-So I thank you for letting him fight alone when he asked you and that you thought of his pride, even though it cost him his life"

The two Soul Reapers looked at her in surprise before both nodded. They then said their goodbyes and returned to the Seireitei.

 _ **A few days later.**_

"Good morning lieutenant Ukitake"

"Morning. Is everyone ready for morning training in five minutes?"

"Yes sir"

"Good. Tell them I'll be right there"

"Of course"

The division member bowed and ran outside. Katsurou then sighed and looked out the window with a distant look in his eyes.

" _I better get going. Worrying about that isn't gonna help me with my job"_

He took a deep breath before walking outside were the others waited. What he didn't know was that his father had seen him stand there with that distant look in his eyes.

" _Something is brothering him"_

Jūshirō walked to his office and sat down with some paperwork until he notice the training wrap up outside. So he told Sentarō and Kiyone to take care of things before he walked outside.

Once everyone had left the training area, he walked up to Katsurou.

"Let's take a walk Suro"

"Sure"

So the two left the division grounds and started to walk through the Seireitei.

"So what's on your mind?"

Katsurou looked surprised at his father.

"You noticed?"

"Yes. Ever since you were little, you've had this look in your eyes when something is on your mind. The same look I saw in your eyes earlier.

-So what's bothering you?"

Katsurou looked away and sighed before his eyes meet Jūshirō's.

"I was thinking about how Kūkaku is the new head of the Shiba clan now when Kaien is dead"

"She is since she's the oldest after Kaien. But what does that have to do with you?"

"Because one day, the same will happen to me. I'll be the head of our family"

"That's right. As my son, you will take over the day I either retire from the position or the day I die.

-Is that what's bothering you?"

"Yeah"

"But why?"

"Because I'm afraid that I won't do a good job or that I'm not worthy of the position since I'm not of Ukitake-blood"

"Suro..."

Jūshirō looked concerned at his son before he looked around and saw where they were. He placed a hand on Katsurou's shoulder and led him somewhere.

"Were are we going?"

"A place were we can talk alone. And don't worry, it's on our family's grounds so we're not trespassing or anything"

"I see"

They kept walking until they reached a small structure above some type of rock. Katsurou walked closer and knelt down so he could see the text engraved on it.

"This is our family grave"

"Yes, all past generations of the Ukitake family since my great-great-grandfather have all been laid to rest here, said Jūshirō"

He then knelt down next to his son.

"The reason to why I brought you here is because I want to tell you something about our family"

"What's that?"

"You're not the first child to be adopted"

"Really?"

"Yes. Our family has always been known for our kind hearts. When my father was young, my grandfather found a young girl abandoned the same way as you. He decided to taker her with him to his home and make her his daughter.

-She grew up to become a very strong woman who wanted to do her best to live up to the Ukitake name that she had been given by the man she now saw as her father"

"But she wasn't picked as the next clan head, that was grandfather"

"You're right about that. But there was one time when my father had been terribly injured and the family needed someone to lead them. Since she had been watching both my grandfather and father, she took it upon herself to lead the family until my father was well again.

-She wasn't of Ukitake blood just like you but she led the family just like any leader of the family blood would"

Katsurou looked at his father before looking back at the grave with a smile on his face.

"I guess I worried about nothing then"

Jūshirō laughed slightly before placing a hand on his son's shoulder.

"It's okay to worry Suro.

-If anything, I should have started to prepare you for taking over the position when you were younger. But I wanted you to grow up without having a burden of responsibility on your shoulders when you didn't need to have it"

"No need to blame yourself over this dad. I understand that you wanted me to have a normal childhood and then time just went too fast and I was suddenly old enough to enter the academy"

"You're right"

Jūshirō then stood up and Katsurou was right behind him.

They left their family grave and went back to their division to continue with their work for the day.

 _ **Notes:**_

 _ **Seiza: the traditional and formal way of sitting in Japan. (The kneeling way they're sitting)**_

 _ **Nemu wasn't present at the lieutenants' meeting since I'm not sure when Mayuri created her and if she was created at the time of Kaien's passing, she may still be very young.**_

 _ **Not much is known about the Ukitake family more than they are low-class aristocrats and that Jūshirō is the family head so that story he was telling Katsurou is just something I came up with for this story.**_


	5. Chapter 5: The job of a lieutenant

_**As time past, Katsurou grew to his position as a lieutenant. Both old and new members really looked up to him as much as they looked up to the captain. He had really taken Kaien's position to his heart.**_

One day about two years after Katsurou became a lieutenant, he was walking around the division looking for someone.

"Kiyone have you seen Rukia?"

"I saw her outside just a moment ago"

"Thanks"

He walked outside and just like Kiyone said, there was Rukia.

"Rukia"

"Oh lieutenant Ukitake sir"

"How many times do I need to tell you that you don't need to be so formal with me? You were not this formal with Kaien as I remember"

"Sorry

-Was there anything you wanted?"

"Actually yes. Get your Zanpakutō because we're gonna do some training"

"Yes sir"

She did as he had told her and soon they made their way to a forest in Rukongai, the exact same place were Kaien had taken both of them to train at some point during their time in the division.

"If I remember right, Kaien and you trained on your Shikai right"

"Yes"

"Right, then I'll show you mine first.

-Howl Towards The Shining Moon Kuroi Ōkami"

Katsurou held the sword in front of him and slowly, the blade turned pitch black and surrouned by a dark energy.

" _I've only heard rumors about the lieutenant's Zanpakutō. A complet black sword with the powers to control shadows in the form of wolves. That's the power of lieutenant Ukitake's Kuroi Ōkami, the only darkness type Zanpakutō that exsits"_

"Now show me yours Rukia"

"Yes sir.

-Dance Sode No Shirayuki."

Rukia turned her sword in a circle counter-clockwise. As she did, the blade, hilt, and tsuba turned completely white and a white ribbon formed from the pommel.

"That's a beautiful sword Rukia."

"Thank you lieutenant."

"Now show me what it can do"

"Right"

They sparred against each other for a while before they sat down for a break.

"Kaien taught you well Rukia"

"Thank you. You're an amazing fighter yourself"

"Some of the things I know I was taught by Kaien as well along with a few things from Captain Komamura"

He then looked up at the sky.

"You know Rukia, you and I have some things in common"

"We do?"

"Yeah. We're both originaly from Rukongai. Both of us got adopted into Soul Reaper families..."

"Wait, you're from Rukongai?"

"I am. 75th district of west Rukongai to be exact. That's were I was found and adopted into the Ukitake family"

"I didn't know that"

"I try to keep it a secret. You and Shūhei Hisagi, the lieutenant of the 9th are the only ones outside the captains that knows that about me"

"Why keep it a secret?"

"Because my years there are some I don't want to remember. It's also for other Soul Reapers. I want them to know me as the son of the Ukitake family and its next leader, not a street rat that got lucky to be adopted by a kind man"

"I see"

Katsurou smiled at her and she smiled back. Then they returned to the division.

 _ **18 years later.**_

It was a rare calm day in the Seireitei and not that much work had to be done.

Katsurou and Shūhei were walking around, just enjoying a break from work.

"Hey Suro have you heard about the new member of the 10th divsion?"

"If you mean that prodigy, then I have heard of him. He finished the academy in a single year, right?"

"He did. Only captain Ichimaru was able to do something like that before him"

"And Kaien graduated after two years"

A smirk crossed the 13th division lieutenant's face.

"Looks like we're getting more and more prodigies around here"

"We sure do"

"So what does Rangiku and captain Shiba think about this young man?"

"Apperantly Rangiku is the one who found him when she was in Rukongai some time back. He had such powerful spirit energy that it was affecting the old lady he lived with"

"In what way?"

"His Zanpakutō is an ice type and his spirit energy manifested in the form of ice that almost freezed that old lady. If Rangiku hadn't felt that strong energy and found him, who know what would have happened"

"You're right about that. But a child with that much spirit energy is unusual"

They kept walking and both soon felt an unfamiliar spiritual pressure along with Rangiku's.

"You think that's the new guy?"

"Yeah"

They walked in the direction they felt the spiritual pressure and found the 10th lieutenant along with a white-haired boy.

"Hi Rangiku"

"Oh Shūhei, Katsurou. What brings you two here?"

"We were just walking around. You know, enjoying a rare workfree day"

"What about you, Shūhei asked"

"I was asked by the captain to show Tōshirō here around so he can find his way around the Seireitei"

The two lieutenants looked at the boy.

"So you're the new member of the 10th we've heard about"

"Yes"

"It's nice to meet you. My name is Katsurou Ukitake and I'm the lieutenant of the 13th division"

"Lieutenant of the 9th division, Shūhei Hisagi"

"Nice to meet you. I'm Tōshirō Hitsugaya"

The two lieutenant's smiled at him as he stood up from his bow.

"We'll let you continue with your tour of the Seireitei, Rangiku, said Katsurou

-We're gonna head out for a lunch break before we return to work"

"Okay, see you around boys"

The two then left Rangiku and Tōshirō.

 _ **Little did the two know back then but Tōshirō quickly rose through the ranks and was soon the 10th division's 3rd seat.**_

A few months after Tōshirō's promotion to 3rd seat, Katsurou was training on his own on the field he and Sajin usually trained at.

He then felt someone's spiritual pressure get closer so he turned around and saw Tōshirō come from the trees.

"Well well I'm surprised you'd find me here 3rd seat Hitsugaya"

"It was actually quite hard. But I ran into captain Komamura and he told me that you may be here"

"I see. So what can I do for the youngest 3rd seat in the Gotei 13?"

Tōshirō looked at him before he got down in a deep bow.

"I wish to learn the basics of Bankai"

"Bankai. You want to learn that now?"

"Yes. But I'm not sure how to start training. I've heard that you learned it when you were just a 4th seat so I came to you for advice"

"I see. I guess I could help you at least with the first part but then, the rest is all up to you"

"Thank you"

"Meet me here midday tomorrow"

"Okay"

 _ **Next day.**_

After finishing his work for the morning, Katsurou went to the field and sat down. Kuroi's voice then echoed in his mind.

 _ **"Master, do you think the boy is ready for this?"**_

"I'm not sure. He's still very young but his spirit energy is incredible"

 _ **"You're right about that"**_

"All I can do is explain how it worked for us, the rest is up to him"

 _ **"Yes. Let's see if his Zanpakutō see him worthy of learning Bankai"**_

Katsurou then looked up as he heard a sound from some bushes were Tōshirō came.

"Ready to begin, 3rd seat Hitsugaya"

"Yes sir"

"Good. First, how much do you know about Bankai?"

"It's the second form of a Zanpakutō and it must be mastered in order for a Soul Reaper to become captain"

"That's right. It normaly takes ten years for a Soul Reaper to fully master their Bankai due to the powers coming with it"

"So were do I start?"

"The first step is materialization"

"Materialization?"

"Yes. It's the opposite of us entering our inner worlds. This time, our Zanpakutō's spirits manifests here.

-Like this"

Katsurou drew his sword and held it out, Kuroi then manifested behind him.

"Wow"

"This is Kuroi Ōkami, my Zanpakutō spirit. That I'm able to summon him here is a sign that I've reach Bankai.

-You must do what you can to make your Zanpakutō spirit manifest the same way as Kuroi and then subjugate him"

"Subjugate?"

"In my master's case, he had to fight and defeat me in order to learn Bankai, said Kuroi

-But the methods on how to reach it varies between Zanpakutō so your spirit may have another way to have your learn it"

"I understand"

"Good, then let's begin with you trying to get in contact with your Zanpakutō and make him manifest, said Katsurou"

Tōshirō nodded and sat down with his sword in his lap.

 _ **Days passed and after Tōshirō managed to make his Zanpakutō manifest, there wasn't much Katsurou could do but watch the boy and his sword spirit fight each other.**_

 _ **One day however...**_

 _"It's been a few days since I last checked on Tōshirō's training due to all work pilling up while dad was sick._

 _-I hope he's done well on his own"_

As Katsurou got closer to the field, he felt cold all of a sudden as if it was winter.

When he got there, he saw the ground covered in frost and Tōshirō stood in the middle of the field with two giant ice wings, a dragon head on his right arm, ice claws on his left, dragon feet, a long ice tail and three ice flowers with four petals each.

" _His Bankai has taken shape"_

Tōshirō then turned around to see him.

"Lieutenant Ukitake, look. I've manifested my Bankai"

"I see that. Great job 3rd seat Hitsugaya"

"I couldn't have done it without your help"

"No, it was all you. I only guided you in the right direction"

The ice then disappeared and Tōshirō put the sword on his back as the lieutenant patted his shoulder.

"It's been an honor to help you"

"I should be the one who's honored. After all, it's not every day a lieutenant agrees to train you"

Katsurou smiled at the young boy as they left the field.

 _ **Katsurou kept checking in with Tōshirō on how his training was going as often as he could since it would take time before the boy would fully master his new powers.**_

 _ **But 2 years later, reports about Soul Reapers being killed in the world of the living started to appear.**_

" _Two more casualties in Narukishi. What is going on? What is it that's attacking them?"_

Kiyone then burst through the door.

"Lieutenant sir!"

"What is it Kiyone?"

"Captain Shiba just returned from the world of the living. All captains and lieutenants are to gather for a joined meeting to hear what he saw

-The captain is already on his way since he was with Captain Kyōraku when he got the message"

"I see. Thank you for informing me"

Katsurou got up and quickly made his way to the 1st division were he was allowed to enter the meeting room were the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 8th, 9th and 12th division captains and lieutenants waited.

"Ah Katsurou, I see Kiyone was able to inform you about the meeting"

"Yes. Sorry I'm late captain"

"It's okay. Not everyone is here yet as you can see"

The others soon arrived and Yamamoto asked captain Shiba to tell them about what happened.

"I see, he said when he finished.

-It is a crime to embark on a mission without authorization but thanks to you, the body count was kept at a minimum and the damage on the world of the living was nominal. So I will overlook this violation"

"Thank you very much"

"By the way. I can't help but think that you have left out some important details.

-Is there anything you'd like to add?"

"No sir. Nothing else"

"Well then. The investigation of Narukishi can be closed thanks to captain Shiba.

-With that said, this is dismissed"

Everyone left the meeting room.

"Hey Suro wanna come with me and Izuru on a quick break"

"Sure. If it's okay for you, captain"

"It's fine Katsurou. Go join your friends for a while, you deserve a break"

"Thank you"

So Katsurou went down to a cafe with Shūhei and Izuru.

"I'm glad that mess is over with, said Shūhei"

"You're right, said Izuru"

"It's good that it's over but like the head-captain said, it's like captain Shiba is hiding something, said Katsurou"

"What would that be?"

"I don't know. It's just that the look in his eyes said something else from what he said at the meeting"

"I'm sure it wasn't anything important, said Shūhei"

Katsurou took a sip of his tea before looking at his best friend.

"I guess you're right. If he was hiding something important, then he would have said it"

 _ **However, a few days later, reports about captain Shiba disappearing in the world of the living came.**_

"Wait, so you're saying he jst left his office, said he was coming back in a few days and never returned, said Nanao"

"That's right, said Rangiku"

"This is indeed a situation we never thought would happen so soon after the Narukishi investigation closed, said Sasakibe"

The other lieutenants looked at each other.

"So what now lieutenant Sasakibe, Izuru asked"

"The head-captain is looking into candidates to take over the position of 10th division captain"

"In other words, there's nothing more to do other than wait for a new captain to be assigned, said Shūhei"

"I'm afraid not. Since no one we've sent there has found captain Shiba or sense his spiritual pressure, we can only assume he's been killed"

Sasakibe then stood up.

"This meeting is over. You will all be called to a joint meeting with your captains when the Head-captain has made his decision"

"Yes sir"

 **It didn't take that many days until everyone was gathered at the 1st division.**

"Captains and lieutenants of the Gotei 13, I have gathered you all because I've made a decision on who's gonna take over as captain of the 10th division, said Yamamoto"

Everyone looked at the head-captain as he stepped forward.

"Will the new captain please enter"

The doors opened and to everyone's surprise, the one entering was Tōshirō.

"Tōshirō Hitsugaya you have been choosen to take over as captain of the 10th division"

Tōshirō got down on his knee and bowed his head.

"Hold on minute, said Mayuri"

"What is it captain Kurotsuchi?"

"How can you name a child captain?!"

"I agree head-captain, it's he a bit young for the position, said Retsu"

"He may be young but Hitsugaya here have already awakened his Bankai, said Yamamoto"

Everyone gasped and looked at the young boy.

"Captains SoiFon and Komamura oversaw his exam with me and we all agree that even though he is young, we can't deny the fact that he has a Bankai"

"His powers are not fully developed but we all said that as he grows so will his powers, said Sajin"

"Even I was surprised at his level of power, said SoiFon"

The others captains looked at the three before stepping back.

"Well then. As the head-captain of the Gotei 13, I hereby name the former 3rd seat of the 10th division, Tōshirō Hitsugaya as the division's new captain.

-Server your division well, captain Hitsugaya"

"Yes sir. I'll do my best"

 _ **After Tōshirō's promotion, there was calm in the Seireitei. Soon, it had been 20 years since he took on the position and 40 years since Katsurou got promoted to lieutenant.**_

All lieutenants were gathered at the 1st divsion for a meeting.

"Next we need to discuss the replacement of the Soul Monitory Officer stationed at the 3600 access in the world of the living, said Isane

-A member of the 4th division is currently holding the position but due to chronic back pain, he's been out on extended sick leave."

"A swift kick in the ass and that guy will be back on his feet in no time, said Omaeda"

"Back pain is serious buisness, we need to give him time to rest and recover, said Izuru"

They were quite for a short moment before Katsurou stood up and looked at Sasakibe.

"Lieutenant Sasakibe I would like to recomend Rukia Kuchiki from my division"

"Your reasons lieutenant Ukitake"

"My captain and I discussed it. He feels Rukia would gain much needed experince by being stationed as an officer in the world of the living"

"So it's captain Ukitake's recomendation?"

"Yes"

"I'm going to approve it. Rukia Kuchiki of the 13th divsion will be the replacement.

-Proceed to the next matter"

He looked at Isane who started to read from the paper she held.

"As you all know we've been looking for someone to fill the empty lieutenant position in the 6th divsion.

-The captains held a meeting to discuss this matter and they've choosen Renji Abarai, the 6th seat of the 11th division to fill the position"

"Huh that punk, what a loser, said Omaeda

-I can't believe they think someone like that is lieutenant material. All that jerk will do is scar the name of the Gotei 13"

He then noticed that Yachiru was drawing on his head and before she jumped off him, she called him bald. Omaeda of course got angry because of that so the others had to calm him down.

The meeting went on for about an hour before everyone was allowed to return to their division.

As he reached the 13th divsion, the first thing Katsurou saw was the two 3rd seats who argued with each other. It had become a habit for them since both got promoted to the same position.

He sighed before walking up to them.

"What are you two arguing about now?"

"Oh lieutenant."

"We weren't arguing about anyting. Right Kiyone?"

"That's right"

"If you two say so but I know what I saw. Get back to work and stop acting like kids"

"Y...yes sir"

"And Kiyone tell Rukia I want to speak with her right now"

"Yes"

Katsurou walked away from the two and as he did, he stroke a hand through his hair that had started to reach down to half his back. He then let out another sigh about the two 3rd seats.

Some days he thought it was a mistake to give them the same position in the division but his father must have had a good reason behind it.

He walked into a room were he sat down and waited. Soon Kiyone and Sentarō appeared in the door and Rukia was with them.

"You wanted to speak with me lieutenant Ukitake"

"Yes Rukia. Please sit down"

Rukia sat down in front of him while Kiyone and Sentarō stood behind him. Katsurou then started to explain that Rukia had been assigned to a mission in the world of the living but she misunderstood him.

"I'm being transfered. To were exactly?"

"Oh no Rukia that's not it. You're not being transfered.

-As I said, we're just gonna send you to the world of the living"

"It's gonna be like one of those missions you and I went on together after you joined the division, said Kiyone

-Remember that?"

"Actually I..."

"You see Kiyone, she doesn't even remember going, said Sentarō.

-She probably erased it from her memory because it was so bad"

"Nobody asked for your opinion Sentarō so why don't you go and stick your head in the sand somewhere"

"Do I look like an ostrich or something!"

Katsurou got really annoyed at the two so he stood up and grabbed the collars of their uniforms to pull them away from each other before glaring at them.

"Enough you two"

"Your new post is in a 4 kilometer radius around Karakura Town and it's just for a month, said a voice."

All four looked towards the door and saw that Jūshirō was standing there so Katsurou immediatly let go of the two 3rd seats.

"I'm sure you can handle it Rukia. It should be easy with your skills"

"Captain Ukitake"

"You shouldn't be out sir, you should be resting, said Kiyone"

"That's kind of you but I'm feeling good today.

-I thought you might be a little anxious about being sent out on your own for the first time. So I came to see you off"

"Thank you captain"

"Please it's nothing"

Jūshirō then entered the room and asked if Rukia was going to talk with Byakuya about it.

"Captain Kuchiki hates it when I bother him with every little detail. So I thought about leaving without telling him"

"I see."

Jūshirō walked closer to Rukia and knelt in front of her.

"If that's what you want to do, then I'll support your decision. I'll tell Byakuya for you."

"Thank you captain"

The lieutenant and two 3rd seats all smiled at their captain's kindness towards her.

A little while later, Rukia left the division for the Senkaimon so she could get going to the world of the living.

After she left, Katsurou walked to his office to finish his paper work for the day when Jūshirō came in.

"Dad, is something wrong?"

"Not at all. I just wanted to know about what happened at the lieutenants' meeting"

"Well the same a usual. Division reports, Hollow activity reports, status of new recruits.

-We did discuss the new lieutenant of the 6th division."

"Ah you mean Renji Abarai"

"Yeah. Omaeda thought he wasn't good for the job but the rest of us agree to let him show what he can and if needed we'll help him with what we can.

-He'll probably need to find his own way of doing things but advice from the rest of us won't hurt"

"You're right"

"By the time Rukia returns, her old friend will have become a lieutenant"

"I believe she'll be happy for him"

"I believe so too"

 _ **A month later.**_

"Ready to welcome the new guy Shūhei, Katsurou asked"

"Yeah. I'm just thinking how captain Kuchiki will react about this"

"As far as I know it, he and Renji have never meet and he doesn't know about his past with Rukia"

"Past with Rukia?"

"According to what Izuru and Momo has told me, Renji and Rukia came from the same district and were close friend until captain Kuchiki came and adopted her."

"I see"

The two friends soon arrived at the 1st division and went to the meeting room were Omaeda and Yachiru were arguing over some snacks while Tetsuzaemon, Nanao and Nemu watched them.

"What's going on, Shūhei asked"

"Omaeda brought snacks again and Yachiru believed everything was for her, said Tetsuzaemon"

"Not surprised, said Katsurou"

He reached inside his uniform and pulled out a small bag. Yachiru immediatly turned her attention to the sound the bag made when he shock it.

"Is that for me Katsu?"

"If you promise to behave and not steal all the snacks that Omaeda brought for _**all**_ of us"

"I promise, I promise!"

"Good. Then you can have it"

He let go of the bag and it landed in Yachiru's hands. She then got onto the table and opened it.

"Good job there Katsurou, said Nanao"

"I never get how you are able to do that, said Tetsuzaemon"

"I've learned a thing or two from my father, said Katsurou"

"Of course captain Ukitake was the one to show you, he's really good with kids, said Nanao"

Then, Izuru, Momo, Isane and Rangiku came.

"Ready for the new guy, Tetsuzaemon asked"

"Yep, said Rangiku"

"It's hard to believe it's been almost 40 years since we last welcomed a new lieutenant, said Isane"

"And that was you Katsurou, said Momo"

"Since you became a lieutenant, no one else has been welcomed to our ranks, said Izuru"

"That's just a good sign, it means no division has lost their lieutenant for 40 years which is great, said Katsurou"

The other lieutenants all smiled at the thought and then they felt Sasakibe's spiritual pressure get closer so they all sat down. Soon enough, the 1st division lieutenant entered the room with a red haired man.

"Everyone stand up and introduce yourselves to the new lieutenant of the 6th division, Renji Abarai"

Everyone stood up and told Renji their names and divisions.

Once the welcome ceremony for Renji was over, the lieutenants left the meeting room and walked outside.

"Well welcome to our ranks Renji, said Izuru"

"Thanks. I actually never thought I would stand here among the second-in-commands of each division and actually be a part of it"

"Well open your eyes kid because now you're one of us, said Tetsuzaemon"

"And if you ever need advice about something, don't hesitate to ask the rest of us, said Katsurou"

"I will lieutenant Ukitake, said Renji"

"There's no need to be formal, said Shūhei"

"That's right, you're a lieutenant too now so you can call us by our names, said Rangiku"

"That's right Renren, said Yachiru"

A smile appeared on Renji's face. He was made lieutenant only a few minutes ago but the twelve of them already treated him like he'd been one of them for years.

 _ **Next day: 13th division.**_

It was the day that Rukia was supposed to return from her mission in the world of the living.

She was supposed to report in during the morning and it was now early afternoon.

" _Something is wrong here, Katsurou thought"_

He had just returned to his office after watching over the training for the new recruits. The thoughts about Rukia's mission ending that day never left his mind

" _Maybe there's a problem with the gate and she'll return once she solves it._

 _-Ah what am I worrying for. She's at the strength of a seated officer and can take care of herself. If not for Byakuya, she may be able to show that strength even more"_

With those thoughts in mind he started to go through some of the paperwork that was most urgent to be done with.

Kiyone came in a while later with some tea for him which he was grateful for. He thanked her and she left the office before Sentarō came in with some more urgent reports.

The rest of the day went that way and Katsurou's thoughts about Rukia was pushed aside because of the work.

The next day however, he was asked to come to the 6th division and he had a feeling Byakuya wanted to know why Rukia didn't return the other day.

"You wanted to see me captain Kuchiki"

"I did. Come in lieutenant"

Katsurou walked into Byakuya's office and closed the door.

"Rukia was supposed to return from her mission yesterday. Why didn't she show up?"

"I'm not sure captain. Maybe there was a problem with the gate and it will take a few days for her to solve"

"I see"

Byakuya put down his pen and looked at the lieutenant.

"There's another thing I wanted"

"What is that?"

"Could you give Abarai a hand? He doesn't seem to know how to handle his paperwork"

"I'll see what I can do to help him. But you need to be patient with him captain Kuchiki. After all, he just went from being a 6th seat with barely any responsabilities in his division to being a lieutenant with a lot of work.

-It will take time for him to get used to"

"I hear what you say lieutenant"

Katsurou just smirked as he walked out of Byakuya's office. The two men had after all known each other since they were boys. Sure, Byakuya was a few years older than Katsurou but they were on good terms and understood each other pretty well.

He walked down the hall to the lieutenant's office and found Renji behind a stack of papers.

"Need some help Renji"

"Katsurou why are you here?"

"Your captain wanted to talk to me and he then asked me to help you since you don't seem to know how to do with those papers"

"I could actually use some help. I don't understand how all of you can handle this"

"Actually it's mostly Nanao and myself who do our paperwork. The others I have no idea what they're doing. Besides, didn't we tell you to just ask if you had any problem"

"I know"

Katsurou chuckled and walked over to Renji to see what he needed help with. He helped him understand what each report was for and also to organise them based on how urgent they needed to be finished.

Days past and soon it had been a month since Rukia was supposed to return home but she was still gone.

" _If she doesn't come back soon she'll get in trouble since it's against the law to be in the world of the living longer than a certain time limit"_

Katsurou couldn't help but start worrying about her. It wasn't like Rukia to take this long time to get back after a mission.

 _ **Then a few days later, the news came.**_

 _ **(Starting to get a bit any anime content now and next chapter will cover the beginning of the Soul Society arc)**_


	6. Chapter 6: Ryoka Invasion

"What! Renji and captain Kuchiki went to the world of the living to arrest Rukia"

"I'm afraid so"

Katsurou sighed and looked at his best friend.

Shūhei had come to the 13th saying that he had urgent news but Katsurou never expected news like that.

"Do you know what happened?"

"Not really. All I know is that Izuru saw them on his way to leave some reports to my division"

"So she's at the 6th division I guess"

"Probably. Until a decision had been reached by Central 46 that is"

"I see. Thanks for telling me"

"I thought you would like to hear it from me rather than a Hell Butterfly message"

Katsurou gave him a smile and a nod. He then stood up from his desk and offered to follow his friend out.

They hadn't gotten further than out of Katsurou's office when Kiyone came running.

"Lieutenant sir!"

"What is it Kiyone? Haven't I told you not to shout when we have visitors from the other divisions"

"I'm so sorry sir but it's the captain, he's collapsed"

"What? Were is he now?"

"Sentarō is carrying him to his room. I offered to tell you since I'm faster than him"

"Right. Kiyone go to the 4th division and get either captain Unohana or your sister. I'll go and see what I can do with my healing until you get back"

"Yes sir"

Kiyone bowed quickly before she disappeared.

"I better get going. I'll see you around Shūhei"

"Right"

Shūhei made his way out while Katsurou quickly went to Ugendō were he found Sentarō.

"Sentarō what happened?"

"I don't know sir. Kiyone and I were just walking past his office when we heard him cough. We walked in and saw him on the floor"

"I see"

Katsurou walked past him and knelt next to the futon. He opened his father's Shihakushō before his hands glowed with reiatsu and he placed them on his chest.

" _It's definetly one of the worse attacks this time"_

When captain Unohana came a few minutes later, she took over the healing while Katsurou walked outside and ordered Sentarō to get back to work.

Once he had disappeared back to the barracks, Katsurou summoned a Hell Butterfly and sent it to the head-captain with a message about his captain's condition.

A short while after he had sent the butterfly, Retsu came out to him.

"How is he captain Unohana?"

"He's going to be fine but it was indeed a bad attack and he has a slight fever"

"I see."

"You know what to do Katsurou"

"Make sure he rests and don't return to work until the fever is gone"

"That's right. You also have healing abilites yourself so maybe using that a few minutes each day will help him get better faster"

"I will. Thank you captain"

Then the Hell Butterfly came back. It landed on Katsurou's finger and he nodded.

"I see you already informed head-captain Yamamoto"

"I did. I thought he deserved to know that my father is sick again"

"It was wise of you"

Katsurou smiled at the kind healer as the butterfly disappeared.

 _ **A few days later.**_

Katsurou was walking towards the meeting room at the 1st division. All lieutenants had gotten a message about a urgent meeting. Somehow a Ryoka had almost managed to get into the Seireitei but was stopped by Captain Ichimaru.

 _"I know the captains are having a meeting as well. It really took a while to talk dad into skipping it to rest"_

As he reached the room, he heard Rangiku talk about not being able to reach her captain.

"So just who is Rangiku's division captain, he heard Renji's voice say"

"Captain Hitsugaya, the prodigy and youngest captain in history"

Renji, Rangiku, Momo and Tetsuzaemon looked at Katsurou as he entered the room and said that.

"Well, well, if it isn't Katsurou. I thought you wouldn't come since I heard your captain is sick again"

"He may be sick again Renji, but I heard this was an urgent meeting. I trust the others in my division to take care of things while I'm here _."_

Katsurou walked in and leaned against the wall a bit from Momo.

But before anymore lieutenats could arrive, an alarm about intruders was heard leaving all lieutenats to return to their divisions to help.

But some time later they had all gathered again. This time everyone was there and listened to a report from the 4th division 3rd seat, Iemura.

"Ikkaku Madarame and Yumichika Ayasegawa both of the 11th division have been withdrawn from the front lines due to both having sustained serious injuries. A detailed damaged assesment from the entire division are currently under way but at the moment all we have to go on are unconfirmed reports of the day's actions.

-Which seems to indicate that the 11th division was almost completly wiped out"

"That's impossible, said Izuru"

"Not the 11th, said Momo"

"How could some Ryoka do so much damage in just a few hours, said Shūhei"

"That division is pathetic, said Omeada"

"The Ryoka have possibly been identified and two of them seems to have taken a member of the 4th division hostage, said Iemura

-Our intelligence indicates that this group is heading this way. However, we've been unable to detect their spiritual pressure since a short time ago so their whereabouts are unkown"

"Obviously our inteligence leaves something to be desired, said Nanao"

Tetsuzaemon then said that someone should check the west 20 region since it's been a while since the 4th seat of his division reported in.

"Isn't the 4th seat of your division Jirōbō the wind schyte, said Rangiku"

"That's right"

"First Jidanbō, now his brother, said Shūhei

"Can they both really have been defeated, said Katsurou"

"What the hell is going on here, said Izuru"

"I've been telling you for years that the 11th division is overrated, said Omaeda."

No one of them besides Momo seemed to notice that Renji had disappeared and once it was over, everyone returned to their duties. But later that day, everyone recieved a report that Renji had been defeated by the Ryoka in battle.

Due to that, the securety got tighter and all lieutenants and seated officers were allowed to carry their Zanpakutō with them at all times.

 _ **The next morning the lieutenants were supposed to gather again for another meeting but with everything that was happening, Katsurou decided to stay at his division to help. He was after all in charge until their captain had recovered.**_

It was about midday and Katsurou was sitting in his office with a stack of paperwork when the two 3rd seats came.

"Lieutenant, I have urgent news."

"No I have blockhead"

Katsurou sighed, put his pen down and rubbed his temples. Over the years, his patience with the two had thined due to their arguing.

"Just tell me already you two"

"Yes sir. This morning before dawn, captain Aizen was killed. The murderer and his motives are still unknown."

"What!"

"We got news about it a few hours ago sir..."

"And you two report this to me now!"

"We're so sorry"

Katsurou took a deep breath to calm his nerves.

"You two, come on. I'm going to inform the captain about this and you two are coming to explain why you reported this so late"

He stood from his desk, grabbed the collars of their uniforms and dragged them with him to Ugendō were he let go of them.

"Captain it's me. I have something urgent to report."

"Come in Katsurou."

Katsurou walked in with Kiyone and Sentarō after him. All three sat down and looked at their captain who used his right arm to get up just enough to face the three.

"I just got urgent news sir. Captain Aizen has been killed."

"What do you mean Aizen has been killed?"

Jūshirō then started coughing. Once it stopped, he looked at his son.

"Killed when? How? Who did this?"

"He was killed this morning before dawn. The murderer and his motives are still unknown"

"Why didn't you wake me up earlier to tell me?"

"You know that I would always report as soon as I hear something. This time it's _**their**_ fault for delaying the report to me."

Katsurou glared behind him at Kiyone and Sentarō.

"Sir I was concerned for your health and I knew that if we told the lieutenant earlier, he would tell you right away so I delayed the report.

-I must be punished."

"No, I'm the one that should be punished."

"You always have to copy me Kiyone"

"I don't copy idiots"

"ENOUGH YOU TWO!"

The 3rd seats looked at their lieutenant who still glared at them. Then Jūshirō started to sit up.

"Something is up.

-I will figure this out"

"I will help out in anyway I can"

Jūshirō got into his uniform before he and Katsurou went to the Senzaikyū cell were Rukia was being held. There they found Byakuya with his Shikai activated.

Right before he could attack Rukia and Hanatarō from the 4th division, Jūshirō grabbed Byakuya's arm.

"Why don't we leave it at that captain Kuchiki"

Byakuya turned to face the other captain and then he saw that Katsurou stood a bit behind him.

"Why are you two here captain?"

"Well I could ask you the same thing.

-After all, releasing you Zanpakutō at a place like this is a first class offence. Even if it is to repel Ryoka"

Suddenly, they all felt a strong spiritual pressure about the level of a captain. They all looked up and saw a orange haired young man dressed as a Soul Reaper with a giant sword on his back land in front of Rukia.

" _That's one of the Ryoka we got reports on, Katsurou thought"_

The young man who Rukia called Ichigo then started to fight against Byakuya until an unexpected person showed up.

Yoruichi, the former captain of the 2nd division who had disappeared a hundred years ago.

She used something to knock Ichigo out before she disappeared with him and Byakuya decided to leave as well.

"Typical captain Kuchiki. He does whatever he feels like."

Then Rukia collapsed behind them and Hanatarō knelt next to her. Both the captain and the lieutenant looked at her before Katsurou turned his head upwards.

"Kiyone, Sentarō. I know you two are there so get down here"

The two 3rd seats came from a roof and knelt in front of the two.

"At your service captain, lieutenant"

Kiyone was ordered to get in contact with her sister and tell her to send a medical team for the Ryoka that Byakuya injured while Sentarō was ordered to put Rukia back in her cell.

Once help from the 4th had come to heal the Ryoka, he was taken with them to their division along with Hanatarō.

 **That night**

Katsurou went out on a patrol round around the Seireitei.

As he jumped from roof to roof, he saw two people that looked like they were sneaking around.

" _I don't recognize any of their spiritual pressures. Could they be two of the Ryoka?"_

He used Flash Step to appear in front of the two.

"Why are you two sneaking around here?"

"Oh, we got lost, said the girl"

"I see.

-Are you guys newly recruited? I haven't seen you around here before"

"We are"

"Can I ask you what division you're a part of. Maybe I can help you get back to your barracks"

"We're from the 11th division, said the boy"

"The 11th? That's weird, you don't look like the typ who loves to fight as much as they do"

The boy looked at him as he grabbed his uniform and revealed a thistle looking symbol emblazoned into the fabric.

"This is the symbol of the 12th division, not the 11th.

-You two are Ryoka aren't you"

The boy's eyes widened and he looked at his friend.

"Orihime run!"

The girl looked at him with worried eyes before she turned around and started to run.

"Bakudō #63 Sajō Sabaku"

A golden energy chain came from Katsurou's hand and went towards the girl. But before it could wrap around her, a blue energy arrow hit the end of it so it went in a different direction, allowing her to escape.

Katsurou looked at the boy and saw him holding a bow.

"You're a Quincy"

"That's right. I'm Uryu Ishida, the last Quincy"

"I see. Tell me then young Quincy. Do you know who I am?"

"I'm afraid I don't"

"Well then, allow me to introduce myself.

-I'm Katsurou Ukitake, the lieutenant of the 13th division"

"I'm guessing by your rank that you are second strongest in your division"

"That's right. Allow me to show you why I'm the second strongest"

Katsurou drew his sword and held it out.

"Howl towards the shining moon, Kuroi Ōkami!"

As his Zanpakutō took on its released form, Uryu backed away and aimed his bow at the lieutenant.

"I really don't want to fight you but since it's an order to capture you Ryoka, I have no choice"

Uryu glared at him before firing an arrow towards Katsurou who swung his sword and a shadow wolf appeared, taking the hit.

"What was that?"

"By mixing my spirit energy with shadows around me or by using the energy around my blade, I can create a wolf made out of that energy that obeys my command.

-I'll give you one chance to surrender and come with me because fighting me during the night is a mistake you don't want to make"

"I'll never surrender to a Soul Reaper!"

He fired another arrow but Katsurou used Flash Step to dodge it.

"That was a close one.

-You seem to be very skilled despite your young age. But I'm afraid it won't match the decades of training I have"

Katsurou swung his sword and five wolves ran towards Uryu but he dodged using a technique that seemed to be similar to Flash Step.

"Hadō #4 Byakurai"

A blue lightning came from Katsurou's finger and hit the top of Uryu's shoulder.

"I'll say it again. Give up and come with me.

-I really don't wanna hurt you more than I just did"

"Never"

"Then let me at least ask why you came here to the Soul Society"

"We came here to save Rukia"

"Are you saying that you want to save her from her execution?"

"That's right"

"Why? You couldn't have gotten that close to her during the two months she was in the world of the living"

"You're right lieutenant. Two months isn't enough to form a strong friendship. But Rukia is important to one of the people I came here with"

Katsurou looked at Uryu before he slightly lowered his sword.

"Rukia is actually a member of my division. It was my captain and I who sent her to the world of the living"

"Then why aren't you doing anything to stop the execution?"

"I wish I could but I can't. The orders comes from Central 46 so no one can change the decision, not even the captains"

"Then I have to say that the laws here are wrong!"

Uryu fired and arrow that flew past Katsurou's face but left a cut on his cheek.

"Not bad young Quincy. But like I said, fighting me during the night is a mistake"

Katsurou used Flash Step to get closer but when Uryu aimed his bow at him, he disappeared from his sight.

Uryu looked around for him and Katsurou suddenly appeared from the shadow behind him and attacked with Byakurai again but he dodged.

"How did you do that?"

"My Zanpakutō's element is darkness so I can use the shadows to my advantage in battle. I was just hiding in it"

"So that's what you meant with not fighting you during the night"

"That's right"

"I see. So if shadows are your strength, then light must weaken you"

Uryu fired an arrow that hit Katsurou's arm, leaving a deep cut before he fired two more that collided and caused a blinding light to appear and give him a chance to escape.

" _Creating a diversion by injuring me and then making two arrows crash into each other to create a light blinding enough for me to let my eyes off him._

 _-Impressive young Quincy"_

Katsurou put his sword back in its scabbard before he made his way to the 4th.

"What happened to you lieutenant Ukitake, Isane asked"

"I was out patrolling and ran into the Ryoka. I fought him for a while but he managed to injure me and escape"

"Did you get a good look at his face so we can inform the other divisions?"

Katsurou nodded and sat down so she could heal his arms.

"There were two of them. A girl with strawberry-blond hair and two hairpins. The boy I fought wore glasses and a white glove on one of his arms.

-They're both dressed in our uniforms to try and fit in"

Isane nodded understanding and ordered one of her officers to report the descriptions to captain Unohana.

She then finished healing Katsurou's arm and put a patch over the cut on his cheek.

"Thanks"

"No problem. It's my job to help when officers are injured"

"That's a good thing. Who knows what would happen without the 4th"

Isane smiled at him as he stood up.

"You should get back to your division before your captain starts to worry"

"You're right"

Katsurou went back to the 13 were he meet his father.

"Suro where have you been?"

"I was on a quick patrol and ran into two of the Ryoka"

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine dad. The one I fought against injured me slightly but Isane healed it for me"

"That's good.

-After what happened when you were in the academy, the thought of you getting injured slightly scares me"

"Don't worry about it. I'm much stronger than I was back then. You're gonna need more than a Ryoka to injure me as bad as back then"

"I guess you're right"

 _ **Later that night , a report came about Mayuri being defeated by the same Ryoka that Katsurou thought against. Kaname had found the boy early in the morning and used a power of his Zanpakutō to knock him out before taking him to the 4th.**_

"Everything is turing into chaos out there, said Jūshirō

-The death of Aizen, the Ryoka, Rukia's execution... something isn't right here"

Katsurou then placed a tea cup on the desk.

"Dad, I wish to visit the Ryoka at the 4th division"

"Why is that?"

"I'm curious about that Ryoka that captain Kuchiki defeated. He wore the mark of the Shiba clan on his clothes"

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I think that he might be Kaien's little brother.

-I wanna know why he came here and if they all know anything about captain Aizen"

Jūshirō looked at his son for a moment before nodding.

"You have my permission. But since they are being held at the 4th, you need to talk with captain Unohana"

"I know. I'll get going right away"

Katsurou walked outside were he Flash Stepped to the 4th division.

Once he got there, he walked to Retsu's office.

"Can I help you with anything lieutenant Ukitake?"

"Yes captain Unohana. I wish to see the Ryoka that are being held here. But since this is your division, I need your permission to do that"

"What is it that you want to do with them?"

"Just ask them a few questions about captain Aizen and why they came here to the Seireitei. And..."

"Tell one of them about your former lieutenant"

"How did you..."

"I saw the mark on his clothes when he came in here. He's a Shiba, isn't he?"

"Yes ma'am"

"Come with me then"

Katsurou followed Retsu through the division to a pair of stairs.

"They are in one of the cells down there. Are you okay from here?"

"Yes. Thank you captain Unohana"

The captain smiled at him before she walked away. Once she was gone, Katsurou walked down the stairs to the cells.

Down there he heard two voices yell at each other which reminded him too much of his 3rd seats.

When he reached the cell, Katsurou saw a very bandaged man argue with the Quincy he had fought while a muscular young man just sat quiet on a chair.

"Is what to call each other such a big thing to argue about?"

The two who had argued jumped in surpise and turned their heads towards Katsurou who leaned against the wall opposite the cell.

"Who are you, asked the bandaged man"

"My name is Katsurou Ukitake and I'm the lieutenant of the 13th division.

-I'm surprised to see you here... Ganju of the Shiba clan"

"How do you know who I am?"

"Oh that's right, you were only a kid when you saw me the last time. I guess you forgot"

"Wait, you've meet this guy before Ganju, asked Uryu"

"Apparently. But I don't remember ever meeting him"

"Think back to a little over forty years ago. My captain and I visited your sister after Kaien had died"

"You knew my brother?"

"He was the lieutenant of the 13th division when I first joined. He was my mentor and taught me a lot.

-I had recently been promoted to lieutenant when we visited you. Kūkaku was ready to kill when we showed up"

It was then Ganju remembered, his sister screaming at someone and then leading two men into a room in their home. One with white hair and the other was the man in front of him.

"Now I remember"

"Good, that will make things easier. But before I tell you about that, I have a few questions for the three of you"

"What kind of questions, asked Uryu"

"When you and I fought each other, you said that Rukia is important to one of the people you came here with.

-Is that right?"

"She's important to Ichigo so we wanted to help, said the muscular young man"

"Chad is right, said Uryu"

"Is Ichigo the orange-haired one who defeated Captain Zaraki?"

"Yes"

"I see.

-I have another question then"

He looked at the trio with a serious expression on face.

"Does anyone of you know about the murder of 5th division captain Sōsuke Aizen?"

"Murder, said Uryu"

"About the same time as you Ryoka started to cause havoc here, captain Aizen was found dead, stabbed with his own Zanpakutō"

"That wasn't any of us"

"How?"

"Neither Chad and I fight with a sword. Chad has these powers in his arm and I fight with arrows as you learned during our fight"

The lieutenat looked at them for a moment before nodding.

"Now when you say it, I do remember captain Kyōraku mention something like that about your friend there.

-But your other friend, this Ichigo must be a very good and strong swordsman since he fought and defeated captain Zaraki"

"Ichigo would never kill anyone, said Chad.

-He sees his powers as a way to protect those he care for"

They could all see the lieutenant's eyes widen slightly before he closed them.

"I see. Thank you for answering my questions.

-Now I have something to tell you or more exactly, Ganju"

"Tell me what?"

"The truth about your brother's death"

"What do you mean?"

Katsurou opened his eyes and looked at him.

"Before 7th seat Yamada was taken back here to his division, he told me and my captain about what you had said in Rukia's cell.

-You believe she's the one who killed Kaien"

"She is the one who did it! His body was covered in wounds inflicted by a sword and she said so herself"

"Those wounds were not her doing! And that she told you that she killed him... I believe she told you that because she was emotionally unstable"

"What?"

"Listen to my story you three because it is the truth of what happened forty years ago.

-Back then I was just the 4th seat of our division while the lieutenant was Kaien Shiba. One day his wife, Miyako, our 3rd seat was sent out on a recon mission to find a mysterious Hollow. She was the only one to make it back out of those five"

"A Hollow killed four Soul Reapers, said Uryu"

"Yes. But later that night, Miyako started to act weird. She attacked the members of the division, killing them. Kaien asked the captain to let him go after her when she fled from the barracks and the captain let him do that but he, myself and Rukia came with him. Once we found the Hollow, Kaien asked the captain for permission to fight it alone which he accepted.

-We watched as Kaien's Zanpakutō disappeared due to that Hollow bastard. Rukia wanted to step in but the captain told her that Kaien was fighting to defend the honor of those who died and if any one of us had stepped in, it would have been the death of his pride"

Katsurou took a deep breath and sighed.

"He fought bravely against the Hollow. Until _**that**_ happened"

"What happened, Ganju asked"

"The Hollow possessed an ability that allowed it to take over a person's body. It took over Kaien's body and tried to attack Rukia but the captain and I stepped in and used our swords to keep the Hollow away. We then told Rukia to run while we fought against the Hollow"

"So the sword wounds on my brother was caused by you?"

"I cut his shoulder and the captain cut the side of his throat. The Hollow tried to get away from us and right when we were about to follow it, something got in the way"

"What was that, Chad asked"

"You see, my captain has been suffering from an illness his whole life. Right when we were about to follow the Hollow, he had an attack of that illness. I tried to stop the Hollow but it got away and chased after Rukia.

-By the time the captain and I caught up, the Hollow had impaled itself on Rukia's Zanpakutō. Most likely she had held it up to defend herself and the Hollow was unlucky to hit the blade. After that happened, Kaien regained control long enough to thank the captain for letting him fight and apologize to Rukia for dragging her into all that. Then he died"

Katsurou looked up at the three and especially Ganju.

"I hope my story has opened your eyes to the truth about your brother's death.

-Now I must take my leave. I have duties to return to"

He gave them a slight bow and left.


	7. Side chapter: character description

_**Just a short update on what Katsurou looks like.**_

 _ **He has long black hair that reaches half his back and his bangs are slightly covering his left eye which are brown in color.**_

 _ **He wears the same uniform as the other Soul Reapers and after his promotion, he always wears his lieutenant badge (the others don't really use them after the Soul Society arc but he does)**_

 _ **(In chapters when he was younger, his hair only reached the top of his shoulders)**_

 _ **His full name is Katsurou**_ _ **Jūgorō Ukitake.**_

 _ **Katsurou comes from Katsu which means victory and rou (mostly spelt as rō) which means son.**_

 _ **Jūgorō means 15th son and it's a middle name I came up with to match Jūshirō's name which means 14th son.**_

 _ **Kuroi**_ _ **Ō**_ _ **kami, the name of his**_ _ **Zanpakutō translates to Black Wolf (as mentioned by Kaien in a early chapter)**_

 _ **His sword is a katana with a light blue hilt and the tsuba has a design that looks like the face of a wolf and the sheat is dark blue.**_

 _ **His Bankai translates to Shadow Black Wolf.**_

 _ **I hope this helps you all to easier get the idea of what he looks like.**_

 _ **I hope you'll all look forward to the next chapter tomorrow which covers more of the Soul Society :)**_


	8. Chapter 7: The traitors among them

Katsurou returned to his divsion and told Jūshirō everything that Ganju and the others had told him.

"I see. So that's why they came here"

"I feel that we can trust them on that. It feels to accurate to be fake"

"You're right"

A Hell Butterfly then came and Katsurou held out a finger for it to land on.

 _ **"The following is an urgent message for all captains and their lieutenants. A change has been made regarding the execution of Rukia Kuchiki. The execution is now set for 29 hours from now. This decision is final and there will be no further changes to the execution date"**_

"Damn it, this is not good"

Katsurou then looked at the grave expression on his father's face as he stood up.

"Katsurou we're going to find Byakuya"

"Right"

Both left their division and found the nobleman walking down a catwalk.

"Byakuya, they've moved the execution"

"Yes to tomorrow"

"Well what are you going to do about it?"

"Why should I do anything?"

"Are you serious?"

"The date has been set. If that's the decision and the order then there is nothing to do.

-Don't bother me again with such matters."

Byakuya started to walk away but Jūshirō grabbed his shoulder to stop him.

"Wait just a minute. Your sister's life is at stake here and if someone doesn't do something, she's likely to die."

Then, he let go of Byakuya as he started to cough. Katsurou who had kept some distance from them now appeared next to his father, placing a hand on his back.

"You should be careful, you'll only shorten your life Ukitake.

-And you should really keep your captain away from the stress, lieutenant"

He then turned his back to the two and started to walk away.

"Rukia is a member of my house as such whenever she lives or dies is none of your business."

Katsurou glared at his old friend and at the moment, he didn't care that Byakuya was of higher rank than him and took a step forward.

"I don't want to insult you Byakuya but my father is right. Rukia is your sister and now you're just gonna let her die like that.

-If I had been you I would have done everything I could to save her"

The nobleman just ignored him and walked away. Katsurou let out a growl in slight anger before turning his attention to Jūshirō.

"You okay dad?"

"Yes don't worry about me Suro. But we need to do something to stop this execution"

"Like what. The decision by Central 46 is final and not even you captains have the power to change it"

"We can at least try an appeal to them"

"Right"

"But first let's go to the eight and talk to Shunsui"

"Why?"

"We need a back-up if the appeal is rejected"

So they made their way to the 8th division were they meet Nanao.

"Lieutenat Ise is Shunsui around?"

"Yes. He's in his office ignoring work as always"

"Thank you"

While the captain started to walk over there, the two lieutenants walked a bit behind him.

"What's this about Katsurou?"

"He wants to talk with captain Kyōraku about this whole thing with Rukia's execution"

"But there's nothing to do. It's official"

"I know but since when has anything stopped our captains"

"True"

They entered Shunsui's office were they found him laying on the couch with his hat over his face.

"Shunsui get up, I need to talk to you"

The 8th division captain lifted his hat a bit and looked up at his best friend.

"Well what brings you here Juu?"

"I guess you heard about Rukia's execution being moved again"

"Yeah, poor girl"

"Well, I'm going to make an appeal to Central 46 but if that doesn't work, we have to find a way to stop the execution"

"But Juu, that's going again the laws and the old man is gonna be really pissed at us"

"I know, I know, but I just can't let one of my officers get executed for a crime that's not at that level"

Shunsui looked at his friend and understanding crossed his face as well as a smirk.

"So what did you have in mind?"

"I still have the shield from the Shihōin clan so we could use it"

"In order words, destroy the Sōkyoku"

"Yes"

"Let's go for it, you know I'll always help you out"

"Thank you Shun"

The two then looked at their lieutenants.

"I don't think you two should get involved in this"

"Dad, you know that I will stand by the side of you two no matter what the cost is. I will not let you do it alone"

"Neither will I captain"

 _ **So it was decided that they would go for that plan if the appeal to Central 46 was turned down. In the end it was and they had no other choice but to use the Shihōin shield.**_

Jūshirō, Katsurou, Kiyone and Sentarō arrived at Sōkyoku hill and noticed the young man that Rukia and the other ryoka called Ichigo. He was in front of the stand, ready to attack the phoenix created from the Sōkyoku.

The cord from the shield then wrapped around the neck of the phoenix and the others captains and lieutenants noticed their presence.

Shunsui and Nanao then moved to stand next to the 13th division officers.

"Hey there Mr Handsome. I was starting to wonder if you planned to show up"

"It took a while to break the seal but this should do it"

Jūshirō placed the shield in front of him and captain SoiFon who was from a family that served the Shihōin clan, recognized the symbol on it.

"Stop them. They'll destroy the Sōkyoku"

"What could I do, Omaeda asked"

"Nothing at all Marechiyo, said Katsurou

-Howl Towards The Shining Moon Kuroi Ōkami"

Katsurou's sword turned into its Shikai form and he struck it into the ground were the shadow of the phoenix was and his shadow wolves appeared in a large pack in front of them.

"What is this?"

"My power, captain SoiFon. I won't let you stop this and those wolves will make sure of it.

-Mamoru!"

At the command, the wolves got closer to each other so they stood in a semi-circle in front of their master.

Shunsui and Jūshirō then drew their swords, struck them into the shield and some sort of energy went through the cord around the phoenix's neck and destroyed it

Then Renji appeared and Ichigo threw Rukia to him so he could get her out of there.

Omaeda, Isane and Sasakibe all went after him but Ichigo appeared in front of them and defeated them without using his Zanpakutō.

He then picked it up just in time to clash with Byakuya who came towards him.

While the two of them were focused on each other, Kiyone ran towards her sister but SoiFon knocked out Sentarō who had rushed after her before glaring Kiyone.

Jūshirō tried to run over and help her but Yamamoto stopped him.

"No one move. This crime, a lieutenant aiding a convicted criminal in her escape will be solved by capturing the traitorous officer and putting him to death, his fate is sealed. But that's the least of our problems. What you two captains have done here today is a crime of far greater magnitude. Surely you both understand that your actions are unforgiveable"

Jūshirō, Shunsui and their lieutenants looked at the old man. Kiyone then tried to get past SoiFon to help her superiors.

"Captain, lieutenant you two are in danger, you have to..."

"Stand back Kiyone, Katsurou shouted."

Kiyone stopped running and looked at the lieutenant who shook his head.

Then, Shunsui grabbed Jūshirō's shoulder.

"Looks like we're gonna have to make a run for it"

The two then disappeared using Flash Step and Nanao grabbed Katsurou by the collar, dragging him with her after their captains.

They managed to catch up with them in an old uninhabited part of the Seireitei were the two lieutenants tried to catch their breath.

"Hey Nanao, slowpoke, said Shunsui"

"You okay Katsurou, Jūshirō asked"

"Yes I'm fine"

"You didn't have to leave us back there captain, said Nanao a bit angry."

They then noticed Yamamoto in front of them.

"Chasing children, it's been many years since someone could get away from me. Let us finish this.

-But I shall be using far more than my fists"

 _"The spiritual pressure from him is enormus, even two captains may not be able to beat him, Katsurou thought_

 _-There's only one thing I can do"_

Nanao reached inside her uniform while Katsurou reached for the handle of his Zanpakutō. But then, Yamamoto's spiritual pressure became stronger, too much for the two lieutenants to handle so they both fell to the ground.

Shunsui then appeared in front of the two, somehow shielding them from the Head-captain's spiritual pressure so the two could breath normaly.

"Take it easy you two"

He then placed his arm around Nanao and was about to place a hand on Katsurou's arm when he looked up at him.

"Please let me stay here and help you two out"

"That's out of the question, said Jūshirō"

"But I..."

"Not buts. Listen to me Suro, I don't want you to get caught in this battle. Shunsui and I may be able to hold our ground for at least a little while but the head-captain is too strong for you

-So please, get out of here and to somewhere safer before this battle starts. After all, I don't want you to get hurt because of what the two of us did"

"I understand. But please be carefull... father"

"I'll do my best"

Katsurou then Flash Stepped away from there and when he got back into the inhabited part of the Seireitei, he found Shūhei on a roof.

"Hahahaha. You okay there Shūhei?"

Shūhei turned his eyes upwards and saw Katsurou stand over him.

"It's just you Suro."

"What happened to you buddy?"

"That bastard Ayasegawa somehow drained me of all my spirit energy"

Both then noticed the flame like spirit energy a far bit away.

"It's coming from the old district, said Shūhei"

"Yeah.

- _Shunsui, dad please be careful"_

Katsurou then sat down next to Shūhei and started to use healing Kidō on him.

"Thanks"

"No problem. I learned healing Kidō for exactly this reason, to help others"

After a while they could hear Isane's voice.

 _ **"All Gotei 13 captains, lieutenants, seated officers and the Ryoka, may I have your attention please. This is 4th division lieutenant Isane Kotetsu with an urgent anouncement. Listen closely as the messages will not be repeated. This is an emergency report from captain Unohana regarding the traitor in our midst. As grim as the following facts are, what I'm about to tell you is the truth"**_

She told them everything about Aizen, that he had faked his own death and was a traitor. She also told them how Gin and Kaname were with him on these plans.

"Do you think you're strong enough to make it to Sōkyoku Hill?"

"Yeah don't worry about me Suro"

"Let's go then"

They Flash Stepped over to the hill and appeared along with the other high ranking Soul Reapers.

Shūhei appeared behind his captain and held his sword to his throat while Katsurou went over to his father.

A bright light then suddenly appeared around Aizen and in the sky some sort of black gate full with Menos Grande opened. It was a Garganta, the gate to Hueco Mundo, the home of the Hollows.

The same light then appeared around Gin and Kaname before all three was lifted into the air.

"That light is a weapon with the name of Negación. It's a technique the Menos use when they're rescuing their fellow Hollows.

-Once enveloped by that light, it's impossible for those within or without to interrupt"

Sajin then slammed his fist against the ground and Katsurou noticed that his friend wasn't wearing his helmet anymore, revealing his wolf face.

He screamed at Kaname to get back, asking him were his sence of justice was. Kaname simply told him that he follows the path with least blood sheed and that justice is always there.

Then Jūshirō took a step forward and looked up at Aizen.

"Why would you want to join with the Menos?"

"I need to keep reaching higher"

"Have you become that corrupt?"

"You're blinded by yourself righteousness. From the beginning, no one has stood at the top. Neither you or me nor the gods.

-But soon that will be filled. From now on, I alone will stand at the top."

Then Aizen removed his glasses and pulled his hair back.

"Goodbye Soul Reapers"

Then the garganta closed.

Members of the 4th soon appeared to care for the injured.

Katsurou was walking around the place when he saw two officers trying to help Sajin but the wolf didn't seem to want it.

"You two, go help someone else. I'll take care of the captain"

"Yes sir"

The two officers walked away and Katsurou looked up at his old friend.

"Sajin sit down"

The wolf looked at him but did as told and Katsurou placed his hands on his arm.

"Why didn't you want those two to heal you?"

Sajin turned his head away and his ears slightly flattened.

"You're still scared about what they would think of you"

"Maybe so"

"Sajin, every captain and lieutenant saw your face earlier, they know what you look like. So there's no need for you to hide it anymore.

-Your appearance won't change anything. You're still the strong and fair captain of the 7th division"

The captain looked down at his friend with hope glimering in his eyes.

"You sure?"

"Sajin, I've known you since I was a child and you haven't changed a bit since then.

-Your men or any other Soul Reaper will not be scared of you because they know how kind you truly are"

Sajin closed his eyes, sighed and then a smile appeared on hsi face.

"Thank you, Suro"

 **The next day** , things had started to calm down and Katsurou was on his way to see Byakuya. His childhood friend had been injured during his battle with Ichigo and then taken a hit from Gin's Zanpakutō to protect Rukia.

When he reached the right room, he saw the nobleman sit on his bed while looking out the window.

"Hi there Byakuya"

Byakuya turned his head and looked at the lieutenant.

"Why are you here?"

"Is it wrong for me to come and see how my friend is feeling?"

"It's not"

"I also want to apologize for what I said the other day. I didn't mean to yell at you like I did"

"Don't apologize. I understand why you did it and you were right.

-I should have at least tried to have the verdict changed to something more fitting of Rukia's crime"

Katsurou smiled and sat down on a chair.

"I heard you told her the truth about Hisana"

"I did. Even though it was her wish that I wouldn't tell her, it was a heavy weight on my heart that lifted by doing that"

"I understand that.

-I still remember that day I came to see you after Hisana passed away and you told me about that"

"You had recently graduated from the academy and I had asked you to come because I wanted to talk to you"

 _ **Flashback.**_

Katsurou arrived at the Kuchiki manor and a servant let him in.

"Master Byakuya is waiting for you in the garden"

"Thank you"

He walked outside and found his friend under a plum tree.

"Byakuya?"

"You got here fast"

"I was taught not to let high nobility wait for too long, even if that noble happens to be a friend"

That earned him a slight chuckle from Byakuya. While he appeared stoic around others, the Ukitake heir was the one person he showed emotions to.

They then started to walk around the big garden.

"I'm sorry to hear about Hisana. I never expected her condition to get that bad"

"Neither did I"

Katsurou looked at his friend and saw a distant look in his eyes.

"Is there something on your mind, Byakuya?"

"Hisana wanted me to look for her younger sister and if I find her, take her in as a part of the Kuchiki family"

"Will your elders allow that? I remember dad telling me that they were pretty mad when you decided to marry Hisana because she was from Rukongai"

"If I find her, they will probably act the same way as back then. Letting someone from Rukongai into a noble family would tarnish the family name"

"That's funny"

"What is?"

"You know about my past. I'm originally from Rukongai but nothing has happened to the Ukitake family.

-I guess that's because we're lower aristocrats and not one of the Four Great Noble clans like you"

"Maybe so"

They stopped on a bridge and looked down at the giant koi fishes.

"So what will you do?"

"I gave Hisana my word that I would find her sister and adopt her into the clan as **my** younger sister"

Byakuya then looked at Katsurou.

"What would you have done?"

"Well, I would probably hold what I promised.

-Even though it goes against the law or tarnish your family name, you're honoring your wife's last wish. It would be the right thing to do"

"Would you ever do something like that?"

"If it was my father's last wish, I would anything to honor it"

"I see.

-Than you Katsurou. I'm grateful for your advice"

"That's what a friend is for"

Katsurou placed his hand on Byakuya's shoulder.

"I'll always be here to listen if something bothers you and I'll do my best to help"

 _ **End Flashback.**_

"Some years later, when Rukia was going to be assigned to a division, you told me that you had signed her up for the 13th and you wanted me to keep an eye on her"

"And you did"

"I couldn't turn down a request from my childhood friend"

A slight smile appeared on Byakuya's face as Katsurou said that.

"I have to go now. I want to see if I can find Ichigo before I return to my duties"

"Why do you want to find him?"

"Just wanna thank him for his help saving a member of my division"

He then placed a hand on Byakuya's shoulder.

"I hope your recovery is quick"

"Thank you"

The lieutenant smiled and walked to the door.

"Katsurou"

"Yes?"

"Come by the 6th division sometime. There is something I'd like to teach you"

"Right"

Katsurou left the 4th division and found Ichigo on Sōkyoku Hill.

"Ichigo"

The young man turned around to see who called his name.

"I'm sorry but who are you?"

"Oh that's right, this is the first time we meet in person.

-I'm Katsurou Ukitake, lieutenant of the 13th division and Rukia's superior"

"Nice to meet you sir.

Katsurou walked over so he stood next to Ichigo and looked out over the Seireitei.

"I can't thank you and your friends more than enough for saving one of my officers"

"There's no need to thank me. I did it to save my friend"

"Rukia really is important to you"

"If it wasn't for her, my family and I would be dead"

"Really?"

"My sisters was attacked by a Hollow that was drawn to my spiritual pressure. Rukia gave me her powers so that I could save them"

"I see. So that's why she did it"

"You didn't know?"

"The reports just said that she had given her powers to a human which is against our laws, it never stated the reason why.

-But now I understand her decision"

Ichigo looked at the lieutenant a bit surprised before looking up at the sky.

"By the way lieutenant"

"Katsurou"

"Huh"

"Just call me Katsurou"

"Right.

-What will happen to Rukia now?"

"Well, now when we know that the order of executing her wasn't from the real Central 46, she's been freed from all charges against her by the head-captain"

"Really"

"Yes. She'll need to rest to regain her spirit energy but one she has done that, she'll come back to her duties"

"That's good to hear"

The two the stood there, just looking out over the Seireitei.

 _ **A few days later.**_

"Alright everyone let's wrap up the training for now"

"Yes lieutenant sir"

Katsurou smiled at his men as they bowed as a thank you for the training he had led.

"Take a 10 minute break but then it's righ back to work"

"Thank you sir"

Katsurou then started to walk back into the barracks and towards his office.

" _To think that just a few days ago we were betrayed by three of our captains. Yet, everything is as much as back to normal now"_

"Um lieutenant sir"

Katsurou turned around and saw Rukia stand there.

"Hi Rukia. How are you feeling?"

"Very well sir but the captain won't allow me back into the division until I've rested some more"

"I understand his decision. You've been through a lot after all"

"Guess you're right"

The lieutenant chuckled a bit which made a smile appear on Rukia's face.

"So did you want something from me?"

"Yes. Do you by any chance know were the Shiba clan lives right now?"

"I think I might know. How come?"

"I just wanted to... talk with them"

Understanding crossed the lieutenants face and he placed a hand on Rukia's head just like Kaien used to do.

"Let's go then so you can talk to them before it gets dark"

"Yes"

So they left the barracks and made their way out to Rukongai and in the outskirts of the first district, they found the place they were looking for.

"Their house is right over there. Are you sure you're okay with going there alone Rukia?"

"Yes, thank you for showing me Lieutenant"

"No problem. I'll return to the barracks then, I have a lot of work to finish"

"Right, See you later"

"We do Rukia"

Katsurou then left and returned to the barracks to try and finish the paperwork he had laying around.

The next day, Ichigo and his friends left the Soul Society and returned to the world of the living.

 _ **And so, the Ryoka invasion came to a end. Rukia was no longer a criminal in the Soul Society and Ichigo's group were concidered allies.**_

 _ **Of course, the less happy part of it was the betrayal of three of their captains who the Soul Reapers all knew they had to face someday.**_

 _Note._

 **Mamoru = protect/defend**

 **Any one wanna guess what Byakuya is going to teach Katsurou? ;)**


	9. Chapter 8: Preparing for what's ahead

Once Byakuya was fully recovered, Katsurou decided to visit the 6th division to see what his friend wanted to teach him.

"Katsurou, why are you here, Renji asked when he arrived"

"Your captain asked me to come"

"Captain Kuchiki did that?"

"Yes.

-I guess he's in his office"

"He's actually at the training ground"

"Right"

Katsurou walked around the barracks to the training ground were he found Byakuya.

"Alright Byakuya, I'm here. What was it you wanted to teach me?"

"I wish to teach you a technique called Utsusemi.

-Do you know about it?"

"I've heard about it. It's a technique where you move at great speed in order to avoid attacks. The speed is so fast that the practitioner creates an afterimage that appears to take damage"

"That's correct"

"So how are you going to teach me that?"

"Like this"

Byakuya drew his sword and held it out.

"Scatter SenbonZakura"

The blade of the sword turned into thousands of tiny blade fragments before Byakuya swung the hilt he still held to send them towards the lieutenant who Flash Stepped out of the way.

"Byakuya are you crazy?!"

"No. I figured that we have to begin with building up your speed"

"So why send your blades after me?"

"You know how fast my SenbonZakura is. Having you dodge the blade fragments is the perfect training to build up your speed"

"I see.

-Well, I agree to this training and I'm not gonna back away from it"

"That's what I wanted to hear"

Byakuya then sent the blades towards him again and Katsurou started to Flash Step around the training ground to dodge them.

 _ **During the days that followed, Katsurou trained with Byakuya as often as they could. The Gotei 13 did at the same time recieve reports on a new threat called Arrancars. Aizen had created them by using the**_ _ **Hōgyoku to remove the masks of Hollows, giving them Soul Reaper powers.**_

 _ **Captain Hitsugaya, Rukia, Renji, Rangiku, Yumichika and Ikkaku were sent to the world of the living to help Ichigo and his friends against this new threat after learning that they had encountered two of them.**_

This day, a week after the team was sent out, Katsurou was looking over some of his paperwork for the day.

The captains were having a meeting to discuss Aizen and what he could be planning so the lieutenants were in charge of everything.

After he had signed a few papers, Jūshirō entered the office.

"Dad, how did the meeting go?"

"The head-captain has assigned different division to look through places Aizen has been at"

"In other words, his quarters at the 5th division barracks and the Central 46 chamber"

"Those two along with the place were he faked his death.

-I have been assigned to look through the Daireishokairō"

"The Great Spirit Library?"

"Yes. Since all knowledge and history of the Soul Society is stored there and it is in the Central 46 compound, there is a chance Aizen has looked through the information there"

"Let's go have a look then"

"Yes"

The two brought Kiyone and Sentarō with them and made their way to Central 46 and down to the Daireishokairō.

"Okay you two, start look for traces of Aizen's spiritual pressure"

"Yes lieutenant sir"

The two 3rd seats started to look through shelves while their superiors walked over to screen at the end of the platform they stood on.

After a while came Shunsui and Nanao.

"You two are working hard, said Shunsui"

"What are you two doing here, Jūshirō asked"

"We had some free time so we thought we'd come down here and help, said Nanao"

"Hopefully we can help you find whatever it is you've been looking for, said Shunsui"

"Thank you, said Jūshirō"

"Captain! Lieutenant!"

The 13th division leaders looked towards were Kiyone and Sentarō stood.

"We found some traces of captain Aizen's spiritual pressure, Sentarō shouted"

"Send it over to us right away you two, Katsurou ordered"

"Yes sir"

The two captains and two lieutenants looked at the screens were some things appeared.

"He accesed all the research and data related to The Hōgyoku, said Nanao"

"It only makes sense since it was what Aizen was after, said Shunsui"

But that one is different from all the others, said Katsurou

-The information is not related to the Hōgyoku"

Jūshirō tapped the text and his eyes widened when he saw what it was about.

"This is..."

"What is it, Shunsui asked"

"The Ōken codex, said Jūshirō

-The materials required to create it are 100,000 souls along with a jūreichi, a enrich spirit zone found in the world of the living, its location changes over time. Because it's so spiritualy charged it's an area spirits are drawn to"

"Nanao is there anyway to figure out the current location of the jūreichi, Shunsui asked"

"Of course. I will only take a minute"

Nanao started to press a few buttons and soon she had found it.

"I don't believe it"

Katsurou looked over her shoulder and his eyes widened.

"The jūreichi is Karakura Town"

"Are you sure, Jūshirō asked"

"Yes. It says it right here"

"This is not good, said Shunsui

-Nanao, Katsurou go and inform old-man Yama about this"

"Yes sir"

The two lieutenants Flash Stepped as fast as they could to the 1st division and were let into Yamamoto's office were both bowed.

"What brings you two lieutenants here?"

"Sir, we've found out what Aizen is after, said Nanao"

"What is it?"

"He wants to create the Ōken, said Katsurou"

Yamamoto who had had his back to the two turned around and looked at them.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes sir. It was the only document that wasn't related to the Hōgyoku that he had looked over"

"I see. Did you look up the jūreichi?"

"Yes and it's not good, said Nanao"

"Were is it?"

"Karakura Town"

Yamamoto looked at the two before turning to Sasakibe.

"Prepare to contact Captain Hitsugaya and his team. They need to know this"

"Yes sir"

"You two can in the meantime return to your captains"

"Understood"

The two lieutenants got up and left the room.

 _ **A few days later.**_

Katsurou and Byakuya were standing at the 6th division training ground.

"Show me if you've made any progress"

"Right"

"Bankai: SenbonZakura Kageyoshi"

Once his Bankai had activated, Byakuya used his hands to direct the blade fragments towards his childhood friend.

Katsurou smirked before the blades hit him but he soon appeared behind Byakuya, unharmed.

"Well done Katsurou"

"Thanks"

"I'd say you've mastered the Utsusemi technique"

"I couldn't have done it without your help Byakuya"

"Like you've told me many times, that's what friends are for.

-This technique may also be helpful in the upcoming battle"

"You're right"

It had been decided the previous day that all Captains and Lieutenants would go to the world of the living to fight Aizen and the Arrancars when the time came.

Byakuya then put his sword back in the sheat.

"You should return to your division"

"Right. Thanks again for teaching me"

Katsurou quickly bowed before he got back to the 13th were he and Jūshirō started to talk about the upcoming battle until Rukia appeared in the doorway.

She then fell to her knees, bowing her head.

"Sorry to bother you captain and lieutenant Ukitake but I have a personal request to ask of you"

"A personal request, said Katsurou"

"What is that you want exactly, Jūshirō asked"

"I want you to authorise the opening of the training ground behind the barracks for my use, said Rukia"

"Opening the training ground. What do you need it for?"

"A friend and I would like to use it to train in preparation for the showdown this upcoming winter"

The captain and lieutenant then noticed how Kiyone and Sentarō tried to peak into the room along with someone else.

"Who is that, Jūshirō asked"

"Oh captain, lieutenant I'm glad the two of your are here, said Sentarō

-I've brought you Orihime Inoue"

"What are you talking about you armpit smelling monkey, I am the one who brought her over here and you know it, said Kiyone"

"Don't lie you little bogger eater!"

The two then started their usual arguments and Katsurou sighed.

"Will you two shut up and stop arguing for ones!"

The two 3rd seats let go of each other and stood straight as Orihime got past them and fell to her knees.

After a talk with the two, the two superior officers decided to open the training grounds for them.

The two would then find themselves watching their training at certain days.

This day, they were both watching over the girls from a smaller hill when Shūhei came.

"What are you two doing here?"

"We were taking a break to watch the ladies train, said Jūshirō

-Take a look."

Shūhei walked closer and looked down at Rukia and Orihime's training.

"That's Rukia and one of the humans"

"Her name is Orihime, said Katsurou"

The three men then saw how Rukia fired Hadō #33 Sōkatsui towards Orihime who barley managed to jump over the blast.

"Looks like they might be enjoying their training a little to much"

"So you picked up on that too, said Katsurou"

"I was surprised when she showed up with a desperate look, asking us to open up the training grounds behind the barracks, said Jūshirō

-But I'm happy for her. She found a friend"

"I don't know, said Shūhei

-Even if that friend is a... human"

"You shouldn't talk like that old friend, said Katsurou"

"Even if they live in completly different worlds, friendship is always a fond thing to have, said Jūshirō

-Orihime and her friends are unusual. Maybe they'll even become Soul Reapers after they've passed on to the Soul Society"

They then saw Rukia dodge an attack from Orihime before firing a Byakurai that Orihime shielded herself from.

"So what brought you here Shūhei, Katsurou asked"

"Oh yeah that's right"

Shūhei reached into his uniform and took out what looked like some sort of newspaper.

"It's this month's Seireitei Bulletin"

"Why do you have this, Jūshirō asked"

"It's chaos around here, said Shūhei

-The 10th is still on assignment in the world of the living. Captain Zaraki won't wake up from his nap and I don't know were the lieutenant is. And all of the members of the 12th are still in the lab, they won't come out"

Katsurou looked at his closest friend as Shūhei sat down next to him.

"It never really accured to me how difficult a captain's duties really are. When captain Tōsen was in charge I don't remember him asking his subordinates for any help"

Then, Shūhei slowly got up.

"I better return to my duties"

"Don't be in such a hurry Shūhei, you should stay here a little and relax"

"Sorry Suro, I can't. I still have a lot of work to do"

With that, the 9th division lieutenant walked away and Jūshirō looked up at the sky.

A while later, a Hell Butterfly came.

" _ **Warning, Arrancars have entered the world of the living. Some of them are Espada"**_

"That's not good, said Katsurou"

Both stood up and looked down at Rukia and Orhime who had stopped their training.

"Rukia, go to the Senkaimon in front of the barracks and go to the world of the living, said Katsurou"

"Yes sir"

"Wait Rukia, I'll go with you, said Orihime"

"No Orihime, you don't have a Hell Butterfly, said Rukia

-If you try to pass through the Senkaimon with me, you'll end up in the Dangai"

Jūshirō and Katsurou then appeared behind them

"I just ordered the outer wall to be stablized so you'll be able to pass through the Dangai safetly, said Jūshirō"

"It will take a little time but you'll be able to return to the world of the living, said Katsurou

-We know you're in a hurry Orihime but you have to stay calm"

"Understand?"

"Yes sir, said Orihime"

"I'll be waiting for you on the other side Orihime, said Rukia"

Orihime nodded and Rukia made her way to the Senkaimon.

She then sat down with Rukia's superiors and waited for the Senkaimon to get ready for her.

"We know you wanna get there and help as soon as possible but I'm sure captain Hitsugaya and the others will be fine until you get there, said Katsurou"

Orihime looked at him with worried eyes before she nodded.

"Captain, lieutenant!"

They all turned around and saw Kiyone.

"The Kidō corps has finished stabilizing the Senkaimon"

"Alright, thank you for informing us Kiyone, said Jūshirō"

The two then led Orihime to the Senkaimo were four Kidō corps members waited for them.

"Be careful now, said Jūshirō"

"Thank you for everything you've done, said Orihime"

She then entered the gate and two other Soul Reapers were right behind her.

"Let's go Katsurou, we can't do more here"

"Yes sir"

The two started to make their way back to their division.

 _ **The next day.**_

Katsurou was watching his men train when a Hell Butterfly came.

"Oh no.

-You two take over"

"Yes sir, said the two 3rd seats"

He quickly made his way to his father's office.

"Suro what's happened?"

"I just got a Hell Butterfly message that the two Soul Reapers we sent with Orihime was found injured in the Dangai late last night

-They said they were attacked by an Arrancar"

"What?"

"I have a bad feeling about this"

"Me too.

-Let's go and see if the Head-captain will let us talk with captain Hitsugaya and see if she got back safely"

"Right"

They made their way to the 1st division and were let inside.

"Has something happened captain Ukitake?"

"Head-captain we want to talk with captain Hitsugaya and his team in the world of the living, said Jūshirō"

"The two Soul Reapers we sent to escort Orihime Inoue back to the world of the living were found injured late last night, said Katsurou

-They said they were attacked by one of the Arrancars"

"I know, I was informed earlier about it.

-Come with me"

The two followed Yamamoto into a room with a giant screen.

"I'll let you talk to them first"

"Thank you sir, said Jūshirō"

The screen then turned on and there was Tōshirō and his team along with Ichigo.

 **"Ukitake, I was looking for the head-captain, said Tōshirō"**

"He allowed us to see you first, said Jūshirō"

 **"And your reason?"**

"Because we're the last people who saw Orihime Inoue before she entered the Senkaimon to return to the world of the living, said Katsurou"

Everyone looked shocked at the two.

"Judging by your reactions, it doesn't appear that she's arrived there safetly as I had hoped, said Jūshirō"

 **"What's the meaning of this Jūshirō, said Ichigo.**

 **-Were exactly did she disappeared to?"**

"I'll give you my assessment.

-The two guards we had sent with her when she came through the Senkaimon were found injured. According to them, it's likely that Orihime has either been abducted or killed by the Arrancars"

 **"Captain Ukitake I believe you're jumping to conclusions, said Rukia"**

"We don't want to believe it either Rukia but the captain is simply stating the worse possible scenario there is, said Katsurou"

"We think more likely however that Orihime Inoue was attacked by an Arrancar and then disappeared with him, said Jūshirō"

 **"Are you kidding me, is that really all you have, said Ichigo a bit angry**

 **-Orihime has disappeared. You say that there is no proff and that she might be dead! Well take a look at this"**

He held up his arm for everyone to see.

 **"I was seriously injured in yesterday's battle and no one here can heal my wounds. But when I woke up this morning it was compelty healed and not only that, but on my wrist there's still some of Orihime's spiritual pressure!**

 **-Are you still just gonna stand there and tell me that she might be dead?"**

Yamamoto then stepped forward and the superiors of the 13th division stepped back.

"That is most unfortunate, he said"

 **"Unfortunate, what do you mean by that, Ichigo asked"**

"If what you say is true then it would be safe to assume that Orihime Inoue is indeed alive. But at the same time, it also means that this is an act of betrayal"

 **"Act of betrayal?"**

"If she had been abducted, she would not have had the time to visit you while you slept. The fact that she healed your wounds before disappearing can only mean one thing... That Orihime Inoue had actually volunterred to go along with the Arrancar of her own free will"

 **"You better take that back!"**

Ichigo stepped closer to the screen but Renji grabbed his shoulder and shook his head before turning to look at the Head-captain.

" **I understand what you're saying head-captain Yamamoto.**

 **-As a member of the advanced troups and because I'm the lieutenant of the 6th division, I will head over to Hueco Mundo to bring the traitor Orihime Inoue back to her senses"**

"You must not, lieutenant Abarai, said Yamamoto.

-All members of captain Hitsugaya's advanced troups are to return immediatly and defend the Soul Society. Since with this information, we know that the Arrancars are ready for battle"

 **"Head-captain, Are you saying that we should abandone Orihime, Rukia asked"**

"Exactly. We can not risk the safety of the entire world just to go chasing after one simple human"

 **"Unfortunatly head-captain with all due respect, I can't follow that order"**

"Unfortunate indeed. I thought that this might happen so I'm glad that I have prepared for it."

The trio watched how a Senkaimon opened behind the group and Byakuya was standing there along with Kenpachi.

The screen then went black.

"Once they return I will call for a joint captains and lieutenants meeting so we can discuss how to face the Arrancars, said Yamamoto"

"Yes sir"

The two soon found themselves in the meeting room along with Shunsui, Sajin, SoiFon, Mayuri, Retsu and their lieutenants.

Tōshirō, Byakuya and Kenpachi soon entered and Yamamoto slammed his cane against the floor as a signal for the meeting to begin so all lieutenants bowed behind their captains.

"Well then, it has come to our attention that the Arrancars are ready for battle which means that the confrontation with Aizen is close.

-All division captains and lieutenants are to make final preparations for the upcoming battle"

"Head-captain"

"Yes, captain SoiFon"

"If we have this battle in the world of living, it will greatly affect the humans and souls in Karakura town to have the spiritual pressures of the people in this room gathered"

"I know.

-Captain Kurotsuchi how is the preparations for the orders I gave you and Kisuke Urahara?"

"It's in the finishing stages and will be done in time for the battle"

"Good.

-To answer captain SoiFon about us affecting the world of the living, while it is true, we have a solution"

"We are creating a fake version of Karakura Town to replace with the real one, said Mayuri"

"And just were are you planning on hiding the real deal, Kenpachi asked"

"We've built the replica out in Rukongai, that's were the real town will be until the battle is over"

"That is a good idea, said Sajin.

-If the humans aren't present, there are lesser chance to harm them"

"Exactly, captain Komamura, said Yamamoto

-The humans in the town will all be put to sleep until the battle is over and they are back in the world of the living. Otherwise we don't know what will happen"

"What about Gentei Kaijo, Izuru asked"

"Seeing how this is a battle we can't lose, no one of us will be give the seal. Everyone of you will fight will your full power

-But there is one other thing"

"What is old-man Yama, Shunsui asked"

"Ichigo Kurosaki will most likely enter Hueco Mundo to save Orihime Inoue so I will send a team there to help him"

"But sir, you told us that we weren't going to help, said Rangiku"

"You're right, lieutenant Matsumoto. I did tell you that but I was lying.

-I have asked Kisuke Urahara to create a Garganta strong enough to let captains travel to Hueco Mundo but it could take a little time for him to do it."

"I take it that it's almost finished then, said Byakuya"

"Yes. So Captains Zaraki, Kuchiki, Unohana and Kurotsuchi, while the rest of us travel to the world of the living, you four will go to Hueco Mundo and aid Ichigo Kurosaki"

"Understood head-captain, said Retsu"

 **Finally, this chapter is up. I was originally going to skip the Arrancar arc since not that much happened in the Soul Society but when I came up with Byakuya training Katsurou, I had to do it.**

 **Next chapter will begin the Fake Karakura battle.**

 **(And yes, this story will have no of the filler arcs since they are not important to the main story and I also hate both the Bount and Amagai arcs)**

 **Notes:**

 **Daireishokairō: Archive inside the Central 46 compound.**


	10. Chapter 9: War with the Arrancars

_**And so, the day the Soul Reapers had waited for had come. The battle against Aizen and his followers.**_

The captains and lieutenants of divisons 1, 2, 7, 8, 10 and 13 all stood ready outside the Senkaimon. Byakuya and the others that had been choosen to go to Hueco Mundo had left a few hours earlier.

"This is it, the day to face Aizen has come, said Yamamoto

-Be brave and stand tall everyone. We will defeat him no matter what"

"Yes sir!"

"Let's move then"

Everyone entered the Senkaimon and they were all soon standing in the air above the fake Karakura town that Mayuri had created and swaped with the real one.

Four Garganta then opened in the distance and out from them came Aizen, Gin, Kaname and three of their followers, the Espada.

"Jūshirō, among those three Espada, which one do you figure is the strongest, Shunsui asked"

"It's hard to say. Sōsuke is the one who knows"

"I guess we'll have to find out by ourselves, said Katsurou"

Yamamoto then released his Shikai and the mighty flames from it forced everyone to take cover before he sent them towards Aizen, Gin and Kaname to trap them in a ring of fire.

"We are safe for now. This wall of flames are to keep Sōsuke and his company at bay for quite some time.

-Now then, we shall show them no mercy. End them at once"

"The head-captain is rather drastic, said Jūshirō"

"It just goes to show how seriously old-man Yama is treating this threat, said Shunsui"

The Arrancars then started to talk between themselves before one of them that looked like an old man gave an order to one of his subordinates.

Said Arrancar put the blade on his arm in his mouth and it made a whistle like sound which made Gargantas open by each of the four pillars the Soul Reapers had set up in cornes of the town.

Omeada started to panic over that but Yamamoto told him to be quiet.

Then, the Hollows got destroyed by Ikkaku, Yumichika, Izuru and Shūhei who had been assigned to defend the pillars.

All of the others then watched as the Espada sent four of his subordinates to fight against them. Izuru and Yumichika both defeated their opponents but Shūhei was struggling.

 _"Come on Shūhei, release your Shikai, Katsurou thought"_

He watched how his best friend kept struggling against his opponent who now had released his so called Resurrección. He soon managed to trap Shūhei by enveloping him in a sphere of pressurized water.

 _"Oh no"_

Katsurou was just about to rush over to help his friend when he saw the sphere get blown away and Shūhei stood there with two dual bladed schytes connected to each other by a chain.

 _"That's it. Use your Shikai and defeat that Arrancar"_

The 13th division lieutenant kept his eyes on his best friend's battle as he now started to get the upperhand on the Arrancar until he eventually defeated him.

 **When all four Arrancars had been defeated** , the Soul Reapers and the Espada all split up.

Katsurou, Shunsui and Jūshirō ended up with a dark haired male Arrancar and a light-green haired female Arrancar.

Shunsui then looked over at Yamamoto before tipping his hat down.

"All this waiting has made my shoulders stiff. When old-man Yama gets all worked up like this... I get all tense"

"You're probably right, said Jūshirō

-When this is over he's gonna need a massage. If I'm not mistaken, he hasn't had one in quite a while"

"Hey hold on, it's my shoulders that are all tied up in knots"

"Come on you're kidding"

"You're always relaxed, I've never heard you complain about stiff shoulders, said Katsurou"

The three of them then looked at their opponent or more specific, the female Arrancar.

"That child... I'd appreciate it if you moved her away from here, said Shunsui"

"Why should I?"

"Because I can't fight at full strength with her here.

-Wouldn't it be the same for you?"

"WHAT THE..., the girl started to say"

"Just calm down Lilinette said the Espada"

Lilinette looked angry at him first but then she seemed to see the look in his eyes.

"That's fine, you don't need to fight at full strength because I'm not gonna fight at full strength either"

"What do you mean, Jūshirō asked"

"See, fighting all out just doesn't suit my...personality. Actually, we could just pretend that we're fighting. I suggest we just wait things out

-You know until the others finish fighting"

"Sounds good, said Shunsui.

-I don't like getting beat up so I perfer to do it that way as well. That's the best thing to do but we can't justify doing that. I wish we could"

"I see"

The Espada then reached for his sword and drew it just as Yamamoto slammed his cane into the air like it was a floor under him

"You must put all your spirit into this to defeat them here. Even if your flesh is torn from your body you must use your bones to form a wall. We must never let them step one foot into the Soul Society.

-Attack now!"

On his orders, Tōshirō clashed with the female Espada, SoiFon and Omaeda with the Arrancars under the old man and Shunsui with the male Espada.

While he clashed with the Espada, Jūshirō and Katsurou went down to a nearby building were Jūshirō sat down on a water tower that Katsurou leaned against.

Lilinette then looked down at them from were she stood in the air a bit away.

"You're not gonna go and give your friend a hand over there?"

"Three against one wouldn't be fair, said Katsurou"

"I know that sounds nice and all but Starrk is no joke. That old man is gonna die"

"Oh I have faith in him, Shunsui can more than hold his own, said Jūshirō"

"Don't say I didn't warn you, your friend is a dead man"

"I appreciate your candor, it's very kind of you. We'll just have to pray it doesn't come to that"

"Yeah sure awesome.

-Anyway, are you two gonna fight me or not?"

"Absolutly not!"

"What?"

"We won't raise our hands to a child who shouldn't even be on this battlefield to begin with, said Katsurou"

"A child, are you kidding me! Age means nothing to an Arrancar, you idiot"

"We're aware of that but it doesn't change matter for my lieutenant and I, said Jūshirō

-In our eyes you're still a child and a girl at that. We simply can't fight you. If you're that determined to force a confrontation, I'm afraid we'll just have to send you home"

"Okay I get the picture. Mock me all you want but like it or not, it's on"

Lilinette then pulled her sword out from one of the horns on her mask. She then went to attack but Katsurou drew his sword and got between her and Jūshirō.

"Sorry. But as a lieutenat, I can't let you attack my captain"

Lilinette seemed to get angry and tried repeatedly to attack but Katsurou blocked every attack.

After a few more failed attempts, she got ready to kick the two but Jūshirō got up next to his son and raised his arm.

"Bakudō #8 Seki"

A orb of light blue energy appeared in front of his hand and it repeled Lilinette's kick, sending her flying backwards.

She got mad for that and fired a green Cero towards them but Jūshirō easily deflected it with just his hand.

Lilinette seemed pretty shocked to see him do that.

"No way"

"I've seen hundreds of different Ceros in the many battles I've been in, so I'm going to tell you the truth. Your Cero is immature, it's not even at the level of Menos. As you just observed I can knock it down with my bare hands

-You're completly outmatched. You should stop and go home. If you're continuing, you're facing certain death"

Lilinette of course got angry at those words and tried to attack them again but after a few failed attempts, Jūshirō managed to steal her Zanpakutō.

She started to try to retrieve it but the captain and lieutenant of the 13th division just stepped aside so she tripped over and over again.

"Give me back my sword you creeps!"

"We can't do that, said Jūshirō"

Lilinette then ran towards them again but once again they stepped aside and she tripped.

"I'm not done!"

Lilinette charged towards the two again but both stepped aside and she landed on her back behind them.

"By now you must know that you can't take your sword back from us, that's reality, said Katsurou"

"You need to accept that fact, said Jūshirō"

"So what if I can, said Lilinette"

"You Fracción are quite fiercly loyal to the Espada aren't you. Never the less, you should stop, your duty shouldn't require you to die here needlessly

-Stuborness isn't loyalty"

"You're so full of it and wrong. You reek from lecturing, old fart"

"Old fart? I don't aprove of you and your faul mouth. Adress me properly, call me Mister"

"I don't know anything about loyalty and stuff like that but Coyote and I, we're different from the other Espada and Fracción. We just are..."

Suddenly, they felt a strong release of energy and looked towards were SoiFon was fighting to see a giant blast.

"Was that captain SoiFon's Bankai?"

"Yes it was"

"Well that means that the guy up there is the only Espada left since Captain Hitsugaya has taken down his opponent as well"

Katsurou looked towards the giant pillar of ice that Tōshirō had trapped his opponent in. He then looked up at the battle above them which seemed to have stopped.

Shunsui then threw his kimono down to them while Starrk called for Lilinette. He placed a hand on her head and blue energy surrounded her until she disappeared.

A cloud of energy then surrounded Starrk and Shunsui took that moment to release his Shikai as he prepared for the fight to resume.

When the cloud died down, Starrk stood there in his Resurrección.

The two then continued their battle while Jūshirō and Katsurou watched.

"Do you think Shunsui have a chance of winning?"

"Have faith in him Suro. I'm sure he'll find a way and if things go the wrong way, the two of us will help him"

"Right"

They watched how Shunsui dodged Cero after Cero while trying his attacks against Starrk.

"Let's go Katsurou"

"Right"

The two leaped into the air where Jūshirō released his Shikai and used it to fire Starrk's Cero back at him.

"Hey what gives you two, said Shunsui"

"There's no use arguing, there's basicly two of them and even though the odds will be on our side instead of even, there's nothing cowardly in accepting help from us, said Katsurou"

"I got the sense you weren't planning on using your Bankai, said Jūshirō"

"Actually I was just about to, said Shunsui"

"No you shouldn't. Your Bankai shouldn't be used were it could be seen.

-Not to mention, my attacks will be more effective against an enemy like this"

"Hey you, said Starrk"

Shunsui looked up at him.

"Not you. You, the captain with the white hair"

"Oh me"

"How did you manage to fire that Cero just now?"

"I can't really say. If you shoot at us again there's a good chance you'll find out"

"That sounds fair"

He aimed his pistol and fired a Cero towards the trio but Jūshirō once again sent it back towards him along with the next one.

Starrk seemed to have figured out the trick behind Jūshirō's Shikai and was about to attack again when Shunsui tried to attack him.

"You're acting out of character, captain"

"You don't know me well enough to speak about my character. My biggest characteristic is being completly uncharacteristic if you ask me"

"And all this time I thought you and I were alike"

He fired a Cero but Shunsui used Flash Step to appear right next to him, forcing the Espada to dodge his attack. As he backed away, he fired more Ceros towards Shunsui until he was forced to dodge an attack from behind.

He looked behind him and saw Katsurou. Starrk aimed his pistol at him but he disappeared really quickly.

He and Shunsui then kept appearing, disappearing and reappearing around Starrk and he dodged their attacks.

"So you're staying at close range. In that case"

Starrk fired multiple Ceros to keep them away and then aimed at the only possible place for them to appear in. First they seemed surprised but once he fired at them, they vanished.

There were they have been came Jūshirō and absorbed Starrk's Cero before sending it back, forcing him to use Sonído to dodge.

"You guys are actually trying to hustle me aren't you, said Starrk

-Was that your plan?"

"He never promised to fight you alone, said Jūshirō"

"Jūshirō how are you holding up old buddy, Shunsui asked"

"Never felt better.

-I also believe that you wanted to see a Bankai"

"Yeah, said Starrk"

"Katsurou you know what to do"

"Yes sir. BANKAI...KageKuroi Ōkami"

Spirit energy surrounded him and when it had died down, Katsurou stood there in his Bankai.

"This is my Bankai, Espada. It may not look like much but I promise you that it has quite the power"

" **I really had it with you. I want those guys dead right now Starrk"**

 **"** Okay okay, I want to get this over with quickly as well but this time I'll see from the start that they won't get near us"

"Are you two ready, Shunsui asked"

"Yeah"

The trio braced themselves for Starrk's next move. But suddenly, a Garganta opened across the sky and all Soul Reapers starred at it with disbelief.

"Are you telling me there are more of them coming over here to help these Espada attack us, said Shunsui"

"That's not a pleasant thought, said Katsurou"

The Garganta was then fully opened and from it came a blond child looking Arrancar. He did some sort of moan and a huge mass of a Hollow with a single eye followed him out from the Garganta.

The Arrancar's blank stare then locked on Jūshirō and he suddenly appeared behind him, piercing him through the chest with just his hand.

When the Arrancar pulled out his hand, Shunsui appeared behind him in an attempt to attack him. But Starrk appeared and pressed his pistol against Shunsui's back before he fired a point-blank Cero at him.

"Sorry but the fact that Wonderweiss is here means that Lord Aizen can't wait any longer"

Both captains then fell unconscious to the ground several feet below them. But Starrk seemed to have forgotten that there was one more opponent to take care of.

He looked at Katsurou and saw anger burn in his eyes.

"Kage Kuro Ōkami No Tōboe!"

The energy around both his swords and feet gathered behind him in the form of a giant black wolf. It raised its head and energy gathered at its mouth before it released a powerful howl that sent a surprised Starrk flying backwards right into a building.

 **Kage Kuro Ōkami No Tōboe: Howl of the shadow black wolf**

 **Sonído: the Arrancar's version of Flash Step.**


	11. Chapter 10: Unexpected help

Katsurou looked towards other parts of the battlefield.

The smoke from SoiFon's Bankai disappeared and revealed that her opponent was still alive, the only injury he had was that the skull that was his face had shattered slightly.

Tōshirō's ice then shattered to reveal his opponent who also was alive.

" _This isn't good. We'll never be able to take them down in the conditions we're all in"_

The Arrancar then made some sort of noice that made the giant creature blow out the fire around Aizen, Gin and Kaname.

" _Okay, now we're really not going to be able to handle this"_

"Not so fast, said a voice"

Everyone looked in the direction the voice came from and there stood a group of people.

" _So this is were they all have been for the past 100 years"_

After exchaning a few words, the eight of them put on what looked like Hollow masks and went towards a bunch of Gillians that the giant creature had released.

Once all Gillians were defeated, the eight of them split up and two of them appeared next to Katsurou.

"Mind if we step in, said one of them"

"I appreciate the help Rose, Love"

"How do you know our names?"

"Oh that's right, I was just a kid last time we meet"

"Wait, Katsurou Ukitake, said the one named Rose"

"That's right. It's been a long time you two"

"Indeed it has"

"Let's see what the past hundred years have taught you kid, said Love"

"Right, let's do it"

All three turned their attention to Starrk.

"He looks strong, I'll give him that, said Love"

"He is, Starrk over there is the 1st Espada, the strongest of them, said Katsurou"

"What type of powers does he have, Rose asked"

"He's really fast so be on your guard at all times. Those guns of his also fire Ceros so be carefull if he aims them at you"

"Right"

Starrk then aimed his gun at them and fired a Cero which all three dodged. They started to circle around him to avoid getting hit by his Ceros.

He then fired his Cero Metralleta which knocked Rose down to the ground and the other two landed close to him.

They then looked to the side were one of their friends had defeated the second Espada.

"So Hacchi did it huh, said Rose

-His opponent looked really powerfull too"

"Yeah but I would have liked it if we had settled things a bit sooner, said Love"

"Why is that, Katsurou asked"

"You don't know kid?

-Once your comrad falls in battle, you're gonna want revenge"

"He doesn't seem like that type to me, said Rose"

"Rose is right, Starrk doesn't seem to be the person that likes to fight, said Katsurou

-He even wanted Shunsui to pretend fighting him earlier just because he didn't feel like fighting. However, that may have changed since he entered his Resurrección"

"That's what's unnerving about him, said Love"

He then leaped into the air and released his Shikai which he used to block Starrk's Cero blasts before slamming the Espada down to the ground.

Rose and Katsurou then appeared next to Love.

"You got him, Rose asked"

"Not exactly. He's just not moving around yet. He's either watching us or planning something.

-Whatever he's up to, we can't make a move until all that dust clears"

Suddenly, multiple Ceros came from the dust to clear it away.

"Why is he shooting like that, said Love"

He then went towards the ground were he clashed with Starrk. While he was distracted by Love, Katsurou appeared behind him and tried to attack but Starrk used Sonído to get away.

The two then appeared directly above him but Starrk leaped into the air to dodge the attacks.

But both caught up with him and tried to attack but he dodged again.

"Why don't you attack us Starrk?"

"Are you to stricten with grief?"

"Something like that, said Starrk"

Love then swung his Zanpakutō while Katsurou crossed both of his swords. He moved them down in an X-shape and the dark energy around the blades formed an X that hit Starrk at the same time as Love's Zanpakutō hit him.

The hits made Starrk fall towards the town below them.

Love then swipped a hand across his face so his Hollow mask appeared before he started to clash with Starrk.

As the Arrancar fired multiple Ceros towards him, Rose released his Shikai which took the form of a whip while Katsurou sent a pack of his wolves to get rid of the Ceros.

"You two are late! There's no point in fighting him three on one if we don't cordinate our attacks better"

"Bossy aren't we Aikawa, said Katsurou

-Besides, it's three against two since he technicly has Lilinette in the guns"

"And as I've explained to you earlier, there's art in making an impression in any kind of situation, said Rose"

Rose then made a motion with his hand so his own Hollow mask appeared. He then began to swing his whip towards Starrk who leaped up to dodge it and when Rose followed him with the whip, he shoot at it.

"That blast of yours is not powerfull enough to knock out my Kinshara."

The whip came from the dust created from the blast and Starrk quickly dodged.

"Nice work Rose"

Katsurou appeared next to Starrk and created the same X of black energy as earlier which forced him back.

"Nice, said Love"

He then appeared above Starrk and fire surrounded his Shikai.

"Hifuki no Kodzuchi"

Love sent a fireball towards Starrk which made him crash to the ground below and got engulfed in flames.

The trio then landed a bit away were the two removed their masks. But just as they did that, Starrk appeared in the air above them with a pack of wolves behind him and his hands were empty.

He then sent some of thw wolves against the trio who tried to attack but they reformed after each blow. Some of them then bite onto Love's leg and Kinshara before they exploded.

It caused damage to the area and the trio jumped out of the dust created from the explosion.

"Hey you two, said Love

-I've figured it out. They're Ceros"

"I don't think that's the case, said Katsurou

-If they had been Ceros, then the damage to us would have been less, especially you two since you have your masks. No, I think there's more to them than that"

Suddenly, wolves appeared around Love and exploded.

When the dust from the explosion cleared, it showed that all three had been injured.

Starrk formed more wolves that went towards the trio and exploded. It caused Rose and Love's masks to break and was powerfull enough to force Katsurou out of his Bankai.

The three of them then fell ontop of a building and Starrk went down to them.

"This game is over. Run and I'll let you live"

"We don't run, said Love"

The trio slowly got up on their feet and looked at the Espada as he dropped down onto the building. But as soon as he landed on the roof, a sword pierced right through his chest.

" _Kageoni, Katsurou thought"_

The sword retreated into his shadow and from it, Shunsui rose up and revealed himself.

" _I knew it"_

Starrk turned to face the captain and placed a hand on his chest were his still had a wound from the sword.

He and Shunsui then took their battle to the air while the other three stayed on the roof, watching them.

 _"You can do this uncle Shunsui"_

And he was right, after quite a long fight, Shunsui emerged as the winner.

The three of them went up to him were Love and Rose bowed.

"I'm glad the three of you are safe"

"You haven't changed at all, said Love

-You still tend to ignore the basic coat of honor"

"Only amatures would give up a victory for the sake of a coat of honor. As a captain I can't afford such luxury. There's rarely a clear cut determination of a good side and a bad side in theses battles. It's hard to pinpoint ho caused what exactly

-Once war breaks out, both sides becomes evil"

His swords then turned back to their sealed form and the blood that was still on them dripped from the tip.

"You did a good job there Suro, holding him off on your own after we were taken down"

"Thank you"

"It just shows how powerfull your Bankai has become durning all these years since you mastered it.

-Now, go to the other lieutenants and rest up or go down there and find Jūshirō. The choice is yours but stay away from the battle for a while, you deserve it after this fight"

"Yes sir"

Katsurou went down to were Izuru and Tetsuzaemon were sitting inside a barrier and Izuru was healing Rangiku.

"Let me take over Izuru"

"Are you sure Katsurou? You just fought one of the Espada and you yourself are injured"

"These wounds are nothing. Besides, you deserve a break so allow me to heal them"

Izuru hesitated but moved away and let Katsurou take his place.

The three of them then watched as the others confronted Aizen.

 **Then** , Ichigo burst through a partially opened Garganta and tried to attack Aizen from behind but it failed. The others joined him and attacked Aizen one after another.

"Such spirit energy, said Tetsuzaemon"

"It's strong and it's not just captain Hitsugaya, said Izuru

-Captain Komamura, captain Kyōraku, everyone here. They're all raising their spirit energies to the limit"

"This might be too much. Being exposed to this much spirit energy could hurt Rangiku and Momo even more"

"You're right Tetsuzaemon, said Katsurou

-But even with all this power, I wonder if it will be enough to stop that traitor Aizen"

They kept watching the fight until Tōshirō stabbed Aizen through the chest.

"They did it, said Izuru"

"They sure did, said Katsurou"

"The captains, they finally did it, said Tetsuzaemon"

-They defeated Aizen. Now we've got something to celebrate"

The barrier around them then disappeared and Momo sat up before she started to walk away. Izuru and Tetsuzaemon followed her but Aizen appeared and attacked them.

Once he had gone back to the battle with the captains, Katsurou got up and ran over to his friends. He knelt between them and healing Kidō glowed around his hands.

As he healed their wounds, he heard Izuru say Gin's name before looking to the side were Rangiku was running. He tried to move but didn't get far since a hand was placed on his uninjured shoulder.

"Take it easy Izuru. You and Tetsuzaemon stay here and rest. I'll go after her"

The older lieutenant stood up and before Izuru knew it, he had disappeared in a quick Flash Step.

" _Rangiku don't do what I think you're doing. Izuru and I together have managed to heal you enough to keep you alive but one bad injury and you're done for"_

Katsurou soon stopped and was right in front of Rangiku.

"Where do you think you're going Rangiku? Your injury is not even near fully healed"

"Katsurou please get out of the way"

"Why are you in such a hurry?!"

"I..."

"It's about Gin isn't it?"

"Huh"

"I've heard about you and Gin over the years. You grew up in Rukongai together and entered the academy together. I know how much you care for him"

He took a deep breath and sighed before looking at her with kindness shining in his eyes.

"So if you promise me that you won't get too injured, then I'll let you go after him"

"Really?"

"Yes. Besides, I have someone I need to find as well"

"Oh thank you Katsurou. And I hope you find your captain"

She ran past him and a sad smile appeared on Katsurou's face before he looked up at the sky.

 _"I hope so too. His spiritual pressure is very weak so I need to get going"_

He drew his sword and released his Shikai before creating some of his wolves.

"Find my father and fast"

The wolves nodded and split up to search.

One of them soon came back and Katsurou followed it to the area were they had fought against Starrk. There on the ground was Jūshirō.

Katsurou quickly ran over to him and saw the terrible wound left from the Arrancar. He felt panic rise up but remembered what he had been taught by Retsu to never panic when someone is wounded.

"Bakudō #73 Tozanshō"

Once the spell had formed around them, Katsurou took his still released Zanpakutō and struck it into the ground. One lone wolf came from the energy around it.

"Find captain Unohana and tell her I need her help"

The wolf growled slightly before it ran to find the 4th division captain who Katsurou could feel not far away from them.

Katsurou then took a deep breath to calm himself and he thought back to his lessons with Retsu. He checked his father's injury and came to the conclusion that turning him over would probably make things worse.

So he placed both hands over the wound and focused all his energy on healing it the best he could.

The wolf he had sent soon came back with Retsu behind him.

 **Notes:**

 **Gillian: the lowest level of Menos Hollows**

 **Kageoni: A technique of Shunsui's Katen Kyokotsu. He can hide himself in shadows and control them to attack opponents by attacking the shadow they stand on.**


	12. Chapter 11: Aftermath of the war

_**Seireitei- 4th division**_

"I can't believe that we actually managed to win, said Shūhei"

"You said it, said Katsurou"

The two friends were sitting in a room at the 4th division and both had just got their injuries healed.

"Any news on your father yet?"

"No. It's been three hours since we got home and captain Unohana is still working on him.

- _Hopefully she'll come and inform me soon. I'm really worried about dad. That damn Arrancar really injured him bad, as if his lungs weren't already weak as it is"_

Then, the door opened and Retsu entered the room.

"How are you two doing?"

"Very well captain Unohana"

"That's good lieutenant Hisagi.

-What about you lieutenant Ukitake?"

"I'm fine"

Retsu could see in his eyes that something was bothering him and she knew exactly what.

"Lieutenant Ukitake come with me"

"Right. See you later Shūhei "

Katsurou stood up from were he sat and followed the captain out of the room.

"I'm glad to say that captain Ukitake will make a full recovery. His injuries were really bad, especially because that Arrancar hit his right lung. But thanks to the emergency healing you did on the spot and the healing I did, he'll be just fine"

"Oh thank you so much for helping him, captain Unohana"

Katsurou bowed as a way to show how grateful he was.

"There's no need to thank me, I was just doing my job.

-He is asleep right now and will probably not wake up until tomorrow but you can still go in and see him"

"Right"

Retsu gave him a gentle smile before she showed him to the right room.

"Here it is. I need to go and check on captain Komamura but I'll be back later to check on captain Ukitake"

"I understand. Thank you again captain"

With that, Retsu walked away while Katsurou entered the room and saw that Jūshirō was asleep just like she had said.

Katsurou gently pulled the quilt up a little before he sat down. Not long after that, he fell asleep right there in the chair next to his sleeping father.

When Retsu came an hour later she couldn't help but smile a little when she saw Katsurou asleep with his arms and head on the bedside, one of his hands really close to his father's.

She did her check-up as quietly as she could and before she walked out again, she placed a blanket over Katsurou.

 _ **The next morning.**_

Katsurou woke up by the feeling of someone trying to shake him awake. He opened his eyes and looked to the side. All he saw at first was a blur of pink and black.

"Good morning kiddo"

"Uncle Shunsui"

His vision focused and the person standing there was indeed Shunsui.

"Unohana told me to wake you up so you could get something to eat. She heard your stomach growl earlier when she was here"

Katsurou was about to say otherwise when he actually started to feel hungry. He hadn't eaten since before they went to fight in the fake Karakura town.

"I guess that's a good idea"

"Let's go then. We'll hurry up so we're here when Jūshirō wakes up"

"Right"

The two left the 4th division barracks to find a place to get some food and about an hour later, they came back and meet Isane.

"Captain Kyōraku, lieutenant Ukitake good timing. Captain Unohana was just checking on captain Ukitake and she believes that he will wake up soon"

"That's good to hear lieutenant Kotetsu, said Shunsui"

The two walked into the room and Katsurou sat down on his father's right side while Shunsui sat down on the left side.

After a while, Jūshirō slowly opened his eyes and looked at his son and best friends.

"Suro...Shun"

"Don't talk too much yet old friend. You're still weak"

"What...happened?"

"That Arrancar kid impaled you, injuring your right lung. Suro gave you emergency healing on the spot and then Unohana worked hard heal you both there and when we got back"

"You had both of us really worried dad but captain Unohana said you'll make a full recovery"

Jūshirō looked at his son. On the outside he seemed very calm about everything but his eyes said something else.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to worry you"

Katsurou looked at Jūshirō before a slight smile made its way over his face and hugged his father very gently.

"It's okay dad, don't worry about it.

-It's after all not the first time I worry about you"

Shunsui chuckled at those words and when they released the hug, he placed a hand on Jūshirō's shoulder.

"But try not to make it happen again okay"

Jūshirō gave his friend a smile and a nod.

"I'll do my best"

The other two smiled when he said that and then, a Hell Butterfly came in from the half opened window and landed on the lieutenant's shoulder.

Katsurou held out his hand so the butterfly flew over to it and he listened to the message.

"Who is that from, Shunsui asked"

"Shūhei. He and the others are going to celebrate our victory and he wants me to join them"

He waved a little so the butterfly disappeared before standing up.

"I guess I'll go join them for a while"

"Do that Suro"

"Yeah, I'll keep your father company for a while"

Katsurou smiled and nodded at the two before he walked out of the room.

Just as he was about to walk out of the barracks, Isane came up to him.

"You going to meet up with the others as well Isane?"

"Yes, everyone is stable so captain Unohana told me to take a break"

"Let's go then"

The two lieutenants walked through the streets to the café were they usually meet up when they had time-off.

"Welcome, said a waitress"

"Thank you, said Isane"

"Are the other lieutenants here, Katsurou asked"

"Yes sir, they're over there"

"Thank you"

They walked over to where she had pointed and found Omaeda, Izuru, Renji, Tetsuzaemon, Nanao, Shūhei, Rangiku, Ikkaku and Yumichika.

Katsurou sat down next to his best friend and Isane next to Nanao. They all then ordered either Sake or tea to drink as well as something small to eat.

"Well guys, we did it, said Izuru"

"Yeah, we defeated the Arrancars and made sure that both Karakura town and the Soul Society are safe from them, said Shūhei"

"And don't forget that Central 46 is going to pass judgement on Aizen any day now, said Renji"

"So cheers to our victory, said Rangiku"

Everyone picked up their cups and raised them.

"KAMPAI!"

 **A week later.**

Katsurou was on hsi way back to the 13th after leaving a few reports to other divisions when he saw Yachiru sit on a wall.

"Yachiru what are you doing without Captain Zaraki?"

"Kenny is being scolded by Gramps along with Byakki and Shun-shun"

" _That's right, those three lost their Haori in their battles against the Arrancars. Yamamoto is very strict when it comes to that._

 _-_ This I have to see"

Katsurou went to the 1st division and hid his spiritual pressure so Yamamoto or the three captain wouldn't sense him before sneaking onto the balcony outside Yamamoto's office.

He was surprised to find his father there but figured he may had acompanied Shunsui there.

The two then heard Yamamoto yell.

"You idiots!

-Each of you is telling me you've lost your Haori. Damaging it is one thing but losing it is outrageous! How can the three of you stand there looking so nonchalant about it!"

"Head-captain you make too much of this situation, said Byakuya

-In the end, they were just cheap coats"

"You think that is going to resolve the situation?! That's not even the primary thing I'm concerned about here! And for your information, those were anything but cheap!

-Battles are not just about winning. What do you people think a captain Haori is?!"

"A royal pain, said Kenpachi"

"A cheap garment, said Byakuya"

"A fashion statement, said Shunsui"

"You're nothing but a bunch of ignorant baboons!"

Outside, the two 13th division leaders decided to leave before Yamamoto noticed them.

"The head-captain at least seemed to be in good spirit"

"You're right Suro. It's been ten days since the battle and since he lost his left arm.

-I was worried he would see himself as crippled and lose his spiritual vitality. But his strength seems to be back so that's a relief to me. There's no Soul Reaper here who's able to take his place"

"You're right"

"Have your heard about Ichigo by the way?"

"Yes. He's going to lose his powers just because he helped us defeated Aizen"

"He is the greatest allied the Soul Society has ever had and now, he'll lose his powers as a Soul Reaper"

"Do you think we should send Rukia to the world of the living with him and the others?

-She is his friend and I think she would like to spend time with him until his powers vansihes and with that, he ability to see her"

"I was actually thinking about that myself"

"Then we'll let her go with them"

 _ **A few hours later: 13th division.**_

Katsurou was sitting in his office when there was a knock on the door.

"Come in"

The door opened and Rukia came in.

"You wanted to talk with me, sir"

"Ah yes"

Rukia walked over so she stood in front of his desk.

"The captain and I have decided to let you go with Ichigo and the others back to the world of the living"

"Huh"

"Ichigo is your friend and we thought that you deserve to be with him until his powers vanishes and with that, his ability to see you"

"Thank you so much sir"

Rukia bowed out of gratitude and Katsurou smiled at her when she looked up at him again.

 _ **And so, the war with Aizen had come to an end with the Soul Society as victors. Aizen was sentenced to 20,000 years in the lowest level of the underground prison, Muken.**_

 _ **But despite the victory, there was some sadness since the Soul Society was going to lose its greatest allie, Ichigo.**_


	13. Chapter 12: Enter: New Gotei 13 officers

_**A few weeks had passed since the Winter War against Aizen. The Soul Reapers that had fought in the battles had fully recover from their injuries and everything was as normal as it could be.**_

Katsurou was having a sparring match with Shūhei when a Hell Butterfly came. The two paused their match as it landed on the 13th division lieutenant's hand.

"Sorry Shūhei. The head-captain wants to see me right away so we have to end it here"

"It's okay, I need to get back to work anyway"

"Don't overwork yourself my friend"

"I'll try"

With that, Katsurou went to the 1st division and entered Yamamoto's office were he bowed.

"You wanted to see me Head-captain"

"I did lieutenant Ukitake"

Yamamoto turned to look at the young man.

"I have a request for you"

"What kind of request sir?"

"As you know there are still three divisions without captains and I have finally picked out capable people to fill those positions.

-I want you to meet up with them at the Senkaimon and bring them here to me"

"The Senkaimon?"

"Yes, these three are coming from the world of the living after all"

Katsurou then realized who he talked about.

"I'll do it sir. I'll meet up with the three and bring them here to you as soon as possible"

"Good. Get going then, they will be here any moment now"

"Yes sir"

With that Katsurou disappeared in a quick Flash Step.

 _"I knew I could trust Jūshirō's boy"_

Katsurou Flash Stepped to the Senkaimon and leaned against a nearby pillar until the gate opened and three men stepped out.

"I was right. It is you three"

The trio looked towards Katsurou and Rose smiled at him.

"I guess you're our escort, lieutenant"

"You're right. The head-captain asked me to lead you to the 1st division"

"That's kind of him since we haven't been here for a 100 years"

"Rose why are you talking to this guy like you know him?"

"Take a good look at this man, Shinji. Imagine him much younger, shorter hair and in another outfit"

Shinji looked at Katsurou until his jaw dropped as he realized who it was.

"You're Ukitake's kid!"

"That's right. It's good to see you again, Shinji"

"I'll be damned, look at you kid. I never imagined seeing you as your dad's lieutenant"

"I didn't either at first to be honest, Kensei. But here I am, 13th division lieutenant since a little over 40 years back"

"Your father must be proud of you, said Rose"

"He is.

-Come on now you three, we don't want to let the head-captain wait"

The four of them walked to the 1st division and to Yamamoto's office.

"Head-captain I've brought the three you wanted to see"

"Thank you lieutenant Ukitake. You may return to your division"

"Yes sir"

Katsurou bowed before he walked out of the 1st division.

As he made his way back to the 13th division, he couldn't help but smile at the thought that three of his friends finally would get people to help them with their work.

Once he arrived at the barracks, he was greeted by some of the members and he gave them all a smile.

"Welcome back sir"

"Thank you Sentarō.

-Have we recieved any reports or documents while I was gone?"

"Yes sir. A few were delievered here from the 3rd, 7th and 10th divisions just a short while ago"

"I see. I'll have a look right away"

"Right. They're waiting in your office"

"Thank you. Return to your duties"

"Yes sir"

Katsurou walked through the barracks to his office and sat down at his desk to look over the reports and documents from the other divisions.

Kiyone came in after a while with some tea and he asked her to deliever the papers that he signed so far to the right divisions which she did right away.

A few hours had passed when he signed the last paper and once he put his pen down, a Hell Butterfly came in through the open window.

He let it land on his finger and listened to its message.

 **"** _ **All captains and lieutenants are to gather at the 1st division for a joint meeting in 20 minutes"**_

 _"A joint meeting? Could it be because of Rose and the others?"_

He stood up and walked outside to were he knew the captain would be, by the lake around Ugendō.

Once he got there, he saw that he was right and knelt a bit behind Jūshirō.

"I assume you got the message from Head-captain Yamamoto"

"I did. Let's go Katsurou"

"Right"

Both Flash Stepped over to the 1st division were Byakuya, Sajin, Shunsui and Retsu already waited with their lieutenants.

"Do anyone know what this joint meeting is about, Sajin asked"

"I don't know, said Retsu"

"Neither do I, said Byakuya"

"Whatever it is, this is a waste of my time"

Everyone turned around to see were the voice came from and saw Mayuri come with Nemu.

Tōshirō, SoiFon, Kenpachi and their lieutenants soon arrived as well and they were let into the meeting room were the lieutenants all bowed behind their captains.

"Thank you for gathering so quickly. The reason why I asked all of you to come is because today the three empty captain positions will be filled"

Everyone in the room looked at the head-captain and he stood up from his seat.

"These three men I've picked out once held these positions and due to what they did during the battle with Azien, Central 46 and I have decided to free them of the charges they were given 100 years ago.

-So captains and lieutenants of the Gotei 13 please welcome the captains of divisions 3, 5 and 9"

The doors to the meeting room opened and in came Rose, Shinji and Kensei, all three now dressed in their captain Haori and Shihakushō.

"Rōjūrō Ōtoribashi, Shinji Hirako and Kensei Muguruma, the three of you are from this day on reinstated as captains of the Gotei 13"

"Thank you head-captain"

All three men bowed before taking their places among the others as Yamamoto looked at everyone.

"Lieutenants Abarai, Matsumoto and Ukitake"

"Sir"

"I want the three of you to escort these men to their divisions and introduce them to their lieutenants. Can you do that?"

"Of course sir"

"Well then, this meeting is now over. Dismissed"

Everyone started to leave the room and the three lieutenants waited outside for the new captains.

"So you three ready to go, Shinji asked"

"Yes sir, said all three"

"I'll take you to the 5th division captain Hirako"

"Right"

"Captain Ōtoribashi, you're following me to the 3rd"

"Okay lieutenant Abarai"

"That leaves me to show you to the 9th, captain Muguruma"

"It seems to be that way"

So they all left the 1st division and then took different ways to the divisions.

"So how's my old division been for the last 100 years?"

"Well..."

"KENSEI!"

The two looked behind them and saw someone come running towards them.

"Mashiro didn't I tell you to stay in the world of the living with the others!"

"But I'm your old lieutenant so I wanted to come back with you"

Kensei sighed at the woman.

"Fine, I'll talk to the head-captain next time there's a meeting. But you will return to the world of the living until I've done that!"

Mashiro pouted but Kensei ignored her and kept walking.

"As I was saying captain Muguruma, the division has been well taken care of for the past 100 years"

"So I guess Kaname was a good captain after all"

"Yes, everyone trusted him and looked up to him, especially Shūhei"

"Shūhei?"

"The lieutnenant. He's a good friend of mine"

"I see. Do they still take care of the Seireitei bulletin?"

"Yes. It's actually been pretty popular for the past forty years or so"

"That's good to hear"

Silence feel between the two for a moment.

"So what's this Shūhei kid like?"

"He's a very responsible and takes his job very seriously. But he's also been overworking himself seeing how he's both the lieutenant and chief editor"

"I see"

They then reached the barracks of the 9th division.

"Please wait here captain Muguruma while I go and get Shūhei"

"Sure"

Katsurou walked into the barracks and started to look for his friend.

"Lieutnant Ukitake are you here to see lieutenant Hisagi, a Soul Reaper asked"

"Yes, I have something I wanted to talk with him about. Do you know were he is?"

"He is in the office with some paperwork"

"Thank you"

He walked through the barracks to the office were Shūhei was sitting.

"Suro why are you here?"

"Come outside with me for a second Shūhei. There's someone I want you to meet"

Shūhei looked at his friend a bit confused before he stood up and followed him outside were Kensei was leaning against the wall by the gate.

"Shūhei this is the new captain of the 9th divison, Kensei Muguruma"

"Nice to meet ya. I heard you've kept this place together since Kaname left"

"Yes sir"

"Well captain Muguruma, I'll leave it to Shūhei to show you around"

"Very well, thanks for the escort lieutenant"

"No problem"

Katsurou left then 9th and as he was passing by the 10th on his way to his own division, he saw Rangiku with a worried look on her face.

"What's wrong Rangiku?"

"Oh Katsurou. Have you seen my captain?"

"No, I've been at the 9th until now.

-Has something happened?"

"You know how he reacted back when Aizen had him attack Momo"

"Yeah. That things was really messed up"

"It was and I think my captain blames himself for what happened since it was his blade that pierced her"

"But it wasn't his fault. Aizen used his hypnosis powers on him"

"I know and that's why I'm worried.

-If you see him, could you try talking to him"

"Rangiku what makes you think he'll listen to me?"

"Because... because he looks up to you as a brother figure"

Katsurou's eyes widened in surprise when she said that.

"He sees me as a brother? How do you know?"

"I can see it on him. The way he talks to you when you come to leave reports or when we meet on the street is a way he only speaks with people he looks up to or respects.

-I asked him a long time ago, a few months before his promotion to be exact and he said that you are like the brother he never had"

 _"I never thought he looked at me that way"_

"So please Katsurou. Try talking to him if you see him"

"Okay. I'll do my best"

"Thank you"

 **The next day.**

After finishing his work for the morning, Katsurou decided to head out to the field he always trained at.

When he got there, he didn't expect to see Tōshirō there.

"Captain Hitsugaya"

The young captain must have been deep in his own thoughts since he slightly jumped at hearing the lieutenant's voice.

"Oh, Ukitake. What brings you here?"

"I was done with work and was thinking about doing some training"

"Then I'll leave so you can do that"

As he was about to stand up, Katsurou recalled Rangiku's request from the previous day.

"Actually, why don't you stay. I actually wanted to talk to you"

"Me?"

"Yes. Rangiku asked me to talk to you since she is worried"

"Worried about what?"

"That you blame yourself for Momo's injuries"

"Why shouldn't blame myself? It was my sword that wounded her!"

Katsurou sighed and sat down in the grass next to the boy.

"We both know that it was Aizen's fault and not yours. He had you under his hypnosis which made Momo appear to look like him"

He looked at Tōshirō's face and slight worry was in his eyes.

"I know how you're feeling Tōshirō"

"How?"

"You know about the relation between me and my captain, right?"

"You're father and son. Everyone know that"

"Exactly. And what happened to him during the battle?"

"He was impaled by that Arrancar"

"Yes.

-Both you and I have felt worry over a loved one who's been very injured"

"But your father is at least up and walking by now. Momo is still recovering"

"But she will get better thanks to the 12th division"

Tōshirō sighed before looking up at the lieutenant with a slight smile.

"I know you're trying to cheer me up, thank you for that"

"No problem. I don't like seeing my friends upset or angry"

"You take after your father way too much"

"Be glad I don't give you candy all the time like he does"

The two started laughing at that.

 **A few days later**

Katsurou was helping the new recruits with their morning training when the 3rd seats came.

"Lieutenant sir!"

"What's the matter you two?"

"Rukia just returned from the world of the living, said Kiyone"

 _"That means Ichigo has fully lost his powers._

-You two take over here"

"Yes sir"

Katsurou left the division and made his way towards the Senkaimon and found Rukia on her way from it.

"Rukia!"

"Oh lieutenant Ukitake"

As he stood in front of her, Katsurou could see the sadness in Rukia's eyes.

"I guess Ichigo has lost his remaining powers"

"Yes. I just said goodbye to him and the others"

Seeing the sadness grow on her, Katsurou knelt down slightly and hugged her. Rukia herself didn't fight it and leaned into his embrace.

"It's okay to cry Rukia. Ichigo is your friend and now it won't be that easy to see him again"

"I know"

He let go of her after a moment.

"Let me follow you back to the Kuchiki manor"

"Thank you"

So they walked to the Kuchiki manor were they saw Byakuya outside.

"Welcome back Rukia"

"Thank you, brother"

"You may go inside. I want to talk with your lieutenant alone"

"Yes"

Rukia went inside the house and Byakuya turned to his childhood friend.

"She took it hard I see"

"Yeah. We may have lost an ally but she lost a friend"

Katsurou stroke a hand through his hair before he turned to walk away.

"I guess I should get back to work"

"Katsurou"

"Yes?"

"Would you mind if I came with you? I want to speak with you and your captain"

"Sure"

So they walked to the 13th were they went to Jūshirō's office.

"What brings you here Byakuya?"

"I want to talk with the two of you about Rukia.

-I wish for her to be give a seated officer post"

The two looked at the 6th division captain with a bit of surprise on their faces.

"What has made you change your mind, Jūshirō asked"

"I asked you to not give Rukia a seat in the division since I was following my promise to Hisana to protect her sister. But back in Hueco Mundo, I realized how strong she really is.

-So I now I want her to be given a spot as a seated officer"

The two 13th division leaders looked at each other before nodding.

"I think I may have a seat to offer her if it's okay for you, said Jūshirō"

"What is that, Byakuya asked"

"You know that due to my health, Katsurou takes care of a lot of things here. Some days it's too much for one man to do alone"

"So you want Rukia to become his co-lieutenant"

"Yes"

"We can split up work, said Katsurou

-I can take care of the training and she the reports or the other way around. Or she take the training one day and I the next"

Byakuya was silent for a moment before he nodded in agreement.

"I'd accept it. You can make Rukia the co-lieutenant of the 13th division"

"Thank you Byakuya"

The nobleman bowed his head before he turned to leave but he stopped at the door.

"How about you two come over tonight for dinner and we'll tell her then"

"Sounds good"

"I'll see you two later then"

With that, Byakuya left.

 _ **Later.**_

As the sun started to set over the Seireitei, Jūshirō and Katsurou made their way to the Kuchiki manor.

"Did you get the badge?"

"Yes. It's slightly smaller than the one I wear so it should fit her"

"Good"

The two then reached the manor and were let into a room were Byakuya waited.

"Welcome"

"Thank you"

They sat down at the table and Byakuya told a servant to inform Rukia that dinner was ready.

When she entered the room, she was surprised to find her superiors there.

"Captain and lieutenant Ukitake, why are you here?"

"Byakuya invited us over, said Jūshirō"

"I see"

She then sat down next to her brother, opposite Katsurou.

Once dinner was over, Byakuya turned to look at his sister.

"There is a reason I asked captain and lieutenant Ukitake to come here"

Rukia looked at him and then across the table at her superiors.

"Your brother came to us earlier today and asked us to give you a seated position in the 13th, said Katsurou"

"A seated position?"

"Yes, we talked and agree that your are worthy of becoming our division's co-lieutenant, said Jūshirō"

Rukia's eyes widened in surprise.

"Co-lieutenant..."

"That's right"

Jūshirō then looked at his son.

"Katsurou give it to her"

"Right"

The lieutenant reached into his uniform and took out a smaller version of a lieutenant badge.

"This is now yours.

-Starting next week. You and I will work together as the lieutenants of the 13th division"

Rukia took the badge and bowed her head.

"Thank you so much sir. I won't disappoint any of you"

"We know you won't, said Jūshirō"

 _ **And so, Rukia became the co-lieutenant of the 13th division, a position she deserved due to her strength.**_

 _ **Note:**_

 _ **Katsurou is 46cm taller than Rukia. She stands at 144cm and he at 190cm (3cm taller than Jūshirō who is 187cm tall)**_

 _ **I guess you could say that Katsurou's relation to both Rukia and Toshiro is that of both an older brother as well as a mentor since he trained Toshiro in one of the earlier chapters and Rukia since he's her lieutenant.**_


	14. Chapter 13: The substitute's return

_**Time passed it had soon been 17 months since the victory over Aizen. It was around that time that reports about a certain man came.**_

 **"** Are you telling me that Kūgo Ginjō is still alive, said Katsurou"

"Yes, his spiritual pressure has been located in the world of the living, said Sasakibe"

The other lieutenants looked at each other.

"Who the heck is this Kūgo Ginjō guy, Renji asked"

"That's right, you weren't a lieutenant back then, said Rangiku"

Katsurou sighed and crossed his arms.

"Kūgo Ginjō is the first Substitute Soul Reaper.

-15 or so years ago, we recieved reports on Soul Reapers being killed in the world of the living"

"It was all his doing, Renji asked"

"Yes. The head-captain thought he could be a danger for us and that's how the Substitute Soul Reaper Combat Pass came to be.

"You gave it to him?"

"My captain and I were ordered to go to the world of the living and give him the pass. We lied and told him that the pass is a license that allowed him to work and identify as a Soul Reaper"

"What was the real purpose, Nanao asked"

"The Combat pass is to monitor and restrict the powers of the Substitute Soul Reaper.

-He found out I guess and disappeared. Since we couldn't find his spiritual pressure, we assumed that he was either dead or a Hollow had gotten him"

"How did he get his powers in the first place, asked Omaeda"

"Ginjō is something called a Fullbringer, spiritual aware humans who's parents survived Hollow attacks before they were born. Some of the Hollows' powers remained in their mothers and were passed onto them at birth"

"What exactly can they do, Isane asked"

"What I remember from when I meet him. Ginjō said that they can manipulate the souls contained within matter"

"So why has he appeared now, Izuru asked"

"We're not sure, said Sasakibe"

"Could he be after Ichigo since he's a Substitute Soul Reaper as well, Renji asked"

"There wouldn't be any idea for him to go after Ichigo since he doesn't have his powers anymore, said Rangiku"

"Unless he has found a way to bring them back, said Shūhei"

"There is no way he could do that, said Sasakibe"

 _ **The next day however, Kisuke visited the Soul Society and explained the situation in the world of the living. That Ginjō was after Ichigo and that he was training him to achive Fullbring.**_

"I completely understand the situation, said Yamamoto"

All captains and lieutenants were gathered in the main meeting hall at the 1st division. Kisuke was bowing before the head-captain, a glowing sword in a container next to him.

"Give me the sword, Kisuke Urahara"

"But head-captain are you sure about this, Retsu asked"

"It remains that Ichigo Kurosaki has saved us all. We cannot ignore a debt like that and now it is time for us to repay him. We must do this, even if it means breaking traditions. It would bring shame to the Gotei 13 to ignore what we owe him.

-This is a direct order from your head-captain. Hear me all captains and lieutenants. You are hearby ordered to place your spirit energy into this sword. We will help Ichigo Kurosaki regain his Soul Reaper powers"

One after another, the captains and their lieutenants went up to the sword and placed their hands over it, transfering bits of their spirit energy into it.

"I thank you head-captain, said Kisuke"

"Make sure our greatest ally returns to us, Urahara"

"I will sir"

 _ **Rukia, Renji, Byakuya, Tōshirō, Kenpachi and Ikkaku were all sent to the world of the living the following day to see if Ichigo choose their side or Ginjō's if he learned the truth about the pass.**_

Katsurou was reading through some important papers when he heard footsteps from the hallway and looked at the door just as the two 3rd seats opened it.

"Lieutenant!"

"We got news sir!"

"What's happened you two?"

"Ichigo Kurosaki has defeated Kūgo Ginjō and he is okay, said Kiyone"

Katsurou looked at the two before he sighed in relief.

" _Ichigo, you did it. I'm glad you're safe._

 _-_ Kiyone, Sentarō!"

"SIR!"

"Let's go and inform the captain"

"Right"

The trio made their way down to Ugendō and bowed outside the door.

"Captain, I was just informed that Ichigo has defeated Kūgo Ginjō"

"The captains and lieutenants dispatched to observe the battle have also safetly returned sir, said Kiyone"

"I see, said Jūshirō"

The three could then see through the shutters how their captain tried to get up but he started coughing instead.

"Captain!"

"I'm alright. How is Ichigo?"

"Sir, Ichigo Kurosaki is safe, said Sentarō"

The shutters was then lifted and Jūshirō smiled as he held an ice pack to his head.

"Thank goodness"

Katsurou then told the two 3rd seats to get back to work while he stayed to talk a bit with their captain.

After helping him back to his bed, he knelt down next to.

"That Ichigo sure is something"

"You're right Suro"

Katsurou could then see slight worry in his father's eyes.

"Okay dad, what are you thinking about?"

"It's just that, Ichigo knows the truth of the badge now. What do you think he'll do?"

Jūshirō then started coughing again and Katsurou placed a hand on his back.

"Don't work yourself up too much. It's not good since you got sick just yesterday and we don't want you to get worse"

Once the coughing stopped, Katsurou helped his father lay down.

"I know"

"As for Ichigo, he is a smart kid and I'm sure he understands why we gave him that pass without telling him the truth"

"I hope you're right"

 _ **A few days after that, everyone was informed that Ichigo had come to the Soul Society to speak with Head-captain Yamamoto.**_

Katsurou found himself leaning against a wall a bit from the stairs that led to the area the 1st division was in.

Soon, he saw Ichigo come down the stairs with Renji and Rukia behind him.

"Hi there Ichigo"

"Oh Katsurou. It's been a while"

"Sure has. It's good to see you have your powers back"

"Thank you"

Katsurou smiled before turning to Renji and Rukia.

"Do you two mind if I speak with Ichigo alone for a moment?"

"Not at all, said Renji"

"We'll wait for you by the Senkaimon, Ichigo, said Rukia"

The two then disappeared in quick Flash Steps.

"So what did you wanna talk about Katsurou?"

"Well..."

"I thought I heard the two of you"

The two turned around and saw Shunsui come towards them.

"Captain Kyōraku, said Ichigo"

"I guess you wanted to talk with him as well, Suro"

"Yeah"

The 13th division lieutenant then got down on one knee and bowed his head.

"Ichigo, I'm so sorry that we didn't tell you the truth about the Combat Pass or Ginjō but we thought we didn't have to tell you about him since he disappeared over 15 years ago.

-I understand if you're mad at us for it and..."

"Stop it!"

Katsurou looked up at Ichigo and saw a smile on his face.

"I understand why you did it and I trust you all since you're my friends.

-I'm also going to continue being a Substitute Soul Reaper so there's no need to worry about that either"

A smile appeared on Katsurou's face as he stood up.

"That's great to hear"

"You're taking the Combat Pass with you then, said Shunsui"

"Yeah, I kind of need it to become my Soul Reaper form, said Ichigo"

"That's right, I forgot that for a second"

All three laughed a bit at that before the two Gotei 13 officers looked at Ichigo.

"Get going to the Senkaimon, said Shunsui"

"You have things to do once you get home after all, said Katsurou"

"Yeah, I need to get back and bury Ginjō, said Ichigo

-I'll see you guys soon and Katsurou"

"Yes"

"Please tell Jūshirō what I told you just now"

"I will. Hopefully that will lift the weight off his shoulders"

Ichigo nodded before he left the two and made his way to the Senkaimon.

 _ **A while later.**_

Katsurou and Shunsui found Jūshirō sitting on a field a bit from the 13th division barracks.

"I knew we'd find you here, said Shunsui"

"Shunsui, Suro"

The two sat down one either side of the white-haired man.

"Ichigo is going back, said Shunsui"

"And the pass?"

"He's taking it with him since he needs it to become his Soul Reaper form, said Katsurou.

-We talked to him about it and he said that he understood why we didn't tell him the truth and that he trusts us"

The lieutenant then laid down on his back in the grass.

"He said he'll continue to be a Substitute Soul Reaper"

He turned his eyes to Jūshirō as he said that and saw relief in his father's eyes.

" _Thank you Ichigo. Your words has lifted the weight that's been on dad's shoulders since we heard that Ginjō was back"_

The trio sat there for a while before they decided to get back to their divisions.

They split up after a while and as they were walking, Katsurou noticed the light from the Senkaimon that showed that Ichigo was going back.

"There he goes"

"Yes"

The two then heard the sound of running behind them and turned to see the two 3rd seats come toward them.

The father-son duo could't help but laugh when the two ran into each other and fell to the ground.

 _ **With that, Ichigo had regained his powers as a Soul Reaper and the Soul Society regained its strongest ally.**_

 _ **(That's that. The Fullbring/Lost Substitute arc is done. But don't worry, I will continue this story and do the Quincy war arc from the manga)**_


	15. Ch 14: Invasion, enter the Quincies

_**For about a month after Ichigo regained his powers as a Soul Reaper, there was peace. But once again a new enemy threatened to destroy it.**_

"Are you two ready for this?"

Katsurou was sitting at his desk and looked at two young Soul Reapers.

"Yes sir, said the woman"

"Good"

He then stood up and looked at the two.

"Ryūnosuke Yuki and Shion from today you two are appointed as the the replacements of Zennosuke Kurumadani and with that becoming guardians of Karakura town"

"Understood sir"

"Great. Kurumadani is waiting by the Senkaimon for you. He'll explain more in detail when you get to the world of the living what your job is"

"Right"

The two then left the room and not long after that, Rukia appeared in the door and she seemed out of breath.

"What happened to you Rukia?"

"I was... at my brother's division leaving those reports... when... an urgent report came in"

"About what?"

She gave him the paper she was holding and sat down to catch her breath.

"Hollows keeps disappearing in the world of the living"

"Yes and at a rapid speed at that. The 12th is currently searching for the reason but if things stays this way"

"It will affect the balance between the Soul Society and the world of the living"

Katsurou frowed as he read the paper before placing it on the desk.

"We'll just have to wait for the head-captain's orders. But if more Hollows disappear, we'll have no choice but to kill some of the Rukongai citizen to regain the balance"

"Let's hope it doesn't come to that"

"Yes"

 _ **The next day however, people in Rukongai started to disappear as well.**_

"What do you think could have happened, Izuru asked"

"No idea, said Shūhei"

"It is strange that this happens just the day after we get reports about all those Hollows disappearing, said Renji"

"I have a feeling that someone has gone behind the backs of both Central 46 and the head-captain in order to restore the balance, said Katsurou"

The four men were sitting at a cafe since they were all on break and they had started to talk about reports from that morning.

"I heard Ikkaku and Yumichika were sent out to investigate the situation, we'll have to wait and see what they say when they return, said Shūhei"

They then heard a large explosion and ran outside to see what was happening.

"What the hell is going on, said Renji"

"Lieutenants!"

All four turned around and saw a member of the 3rd division come towards them.

"What's happening, Izuru asked"

"We're not sure sir. But it seems someone has broken into the head-captain's office"

"What?!"

They then saw flames come from the balcony outside the head-captain's office.

"Seems like the head-captain is scaring them away, said Katsurou"

"What did they expect, he's the strongest Soul Reaper around here, said Izuru"

"I think we should get back to our division just in case, said Shūhei"

"Good idea, said Renji.

-If anything, Hell Butterflies will soon appear with news on what happened"

 **The four of them split up and went back to their divisions.**

Twenty minutes after he had returned, a Hell Butterfly came flying in through the window to the office and landed on Katsurou's outstretched finger.

" _ **This is an important message to all captains and lieutenants. 57 minutes ago, 7 people broke in to the 1st division and the left five minutes later. The head-captain is safe but lieutenant Sasakibe was killed."**_

Katsurou's eyes widened at hearing that.

 _"Lieutenant Sasakibe is dead...:"_

 _ **"While that was happening, 106 more members of the 1st division were killed by another intruder at the Kokuryou gate that they were guarding. The battle lasted for 182 seconds.**_

 _ **-It's unknown how these intruders got in and how they left since the barrier around the Seireitei wasn't affected. Before they left, the intruders declared war on the Seireitei in five days"**_

 _"What's going on with all this?"_

 _ **Two days later, all captains and lieutenants had gathered on**_ _**Sōkyoku Hill were a funeral pyre had been built for Sasakibe**_.

"Should we go talk with old-man Yama?"

"Not now Shunsui. We can talk with him later"

"If you say so"

The other captains and lieutenants arrived a while later and once everyone was there, Yamamoto walked up to the pyre and ordered members of the Kidō corps to light it.

Everyone bowed their heads in respect for the deceased 1st division lieutenant and as the fire kept burning, Yamamoto turned to all of them.

"I want all captains to gather for a meeting in one hour. You lieutenants will gather in your meeting room until we're done"

"Yes head-captain"

 **About an hour later.**

The lieutenants were all gathered in the room were they usually held their meetings and while the others relaxed, Rukia was pacing back and forth.

"Rukia calm down, said Renji"

"He is right, the captains' meeting just end faster because you're pacing, said Katsurou"

"Sorry, said Rukia"

She stopped walking and stood by the table were Renji was sitting.

"It's hard to believe Sasakibe is dead, said Rangiku"

"I know, said Momo"

"Um, excuse me guys, said Izuru"

Everyone turned to look at the 3rd division lieutenant.

"Before the meeting ends, there's something I need to know"

"What is it, Shūhei asked"

"The incidents that has happened, the disappearance of Hollows and Rukongai citizen and the invasion of those intruders. I thought they were connected but according to the report from the 12th division, two are connected"

"You mean the Hollows and the invasion, said Nanao"

"Yes. The Rukongai incident was blamed on a dispute between the people and all investigations were canceled even though they are continuing.

-I can't accept it. So want to talk with all lieutenants while our captains are in that meeting"

"We're listening, said Tetsuzaemon"

"Did anyone investigate beyond district 50?"

"Baldy and Yun-Yun went to the 64th, said Yachiru"

"And their report?"

"I think it was the same as the others. All the footprints disappeared at a certain point. But there were no footprints from Hollows so they thought it had been a fight between villagers"

"It's not that I want to know. I want to know what type of footprints they saw"

"Barefoot and sandal"

"I knew it"

"Knew what, Shūhei asked"

"Beyond district 50, the living standars in Rukongai has suddenly plummeted. These are facts that was presented in a Rukongai research.

-Clothes are rags and people are walking around barefoot. And also, statistics from the past 550 years states that no one has been found to wear sandals beyond district 50"

"I understand now, said Katsurou

-If they are no citizen that wears sandals beyond district 50, then the footprins in district 64 must be from Soul Reapers"

"Exactly. I thought it was strange since someone from the spirit particle investigation team would normaly accompany us on investigations of this manner. But we didn't see them..."

Izuru then turned to look at Nemu.

"Just what is captain Kurotsuchi hiding, Nemu?"

"I don't know. Master Mayuri has not given me information on the matter"

"I'm reporting this to the captains"

"Do as you like. Master Mayuri would never do something wrong"

 **The next day.**

"Can't say I'm surprised that captain Kurotsuchi is hiding something, said Katsurou"

He and Rukia were discussing the meeting from the previous day

The two lieutenants were standing with the rest of their division. They had been ordered to be stand by in case something should happen.

"Why are we preparing for an attack when they told the head-captain that we got five days before they arrive, Rukia asked"

"I'm not sure but it's the head-captain's orders so we don't have much to say.

-I also didn't expect the enemy to be Quincies"

"Lieutenant Kuchiki, Lieutenant Ukitake"

The two turned around and saw their 6th seat, Hidetomo Kajōmaru come towards them. Behind him was Shino and Ryūnosuke.

"Ah Kajōmaru, I see that you found them"

"I did sir"

"Good job, all of you join the formation"

"Yes sir"

The trio walked away to join the other while their lieutenants stayed were they were.

"If they are invading us, they should come through one of the gates and when it happens, we'll get a report"

"That makes sense, said a voice"

Everyone turned around and saw a man wearing a dark cloak over his clothes stand in the air.

"War is truly painful"

 **Suddenly** pillars of blue fire appeared out of nowhere all over the Seireitei.

"Just how many of those are there, said Kiyone"

Rukia then started to run away from the rest of them.

"Where are you going, Katsurou shouted after her"

"To the base of the pillars. The officials of the enemy army are probably at the base of each of them"

"Right. Just be careful"

"Got it"

While she went towards one of the other pillars, Katsurou looked towards the one a bit from them.

"Everyone, draw your swords and get ready"

"Yes sir"

Everyone drew their Zanpakutō and waited for something to happen.

Soon, a blond man dressed all in white came towards them.

"Stay right there Quincy"

The man looked at the lieutenant and then at everyone behind him.

"The likes of you won't even serve as a warning"

"You dare to mock the 13th division of the Gotei 13, said Kajōmaru"

"Calm yourself Kajōmaru, said Katsurou"

"Sorry lieutenant"

"Your men are scared lieutenant, said the Quincy.

-From the beginning, they've unconsciously trying to deflect that this is a matter of life and death despite the fact that we declared war"

In a mix of fear and rage, Kajōmaru ran towards the Quincy but something really fast came and pushed him out of the way of an attack.

Kajōmaru looked up and saw that the Quincy had drawn a big sword which he had used to attack Katsurou.

"LIEUTENANT!"

Suddenly, Katsurou appeared behind the Quincy and he was unharmed.

"How did you survive that, the Quincy asked"

"It's a technique called Utsusemi. It allows me to move at great speed to dodge attacks and the speed creates an afterimage that appears to take damage

- _Thanks Byakuya. I would have been dead if you hadn't taught me that"_

"I see"

"Now you'll pay for attacking my 6th seat.

-Howl towards the Shining Moon, Kuroi Ōkami"

His Zanpakutō change to its Shikai form but before Katsurou had a chance to do anything, Rangiku's voice could be heard.

" _She must be using Tenteikūra"_

She informed everyone to not use their Bankai in their battles with the Quincies since Captains Hitsugaya had done that and got it stolen.

" _It's not only captain Hitsugaya. I can sense that Byakuya, Sajin and Captain SoiFon's spiritual pressures are weaker than normal"_

"Haschwalth leave the Soul Reapers, you and I have more important things to do, said the man above them"

"Yes your majesty"

"I don't think so!"

Katsurou tried to attack the one called Haschwalth but he dodged the attack and disappeared with the other man.

"Damn it"

He sighed and put his sword back into its sheat before kneeling next Kajōmaru.

"You okay?"

"Yes sir. Thank you very much for saving me"

"No problem. I'd rather risk my life than letting my men get injured"

He then stood up and looked around.

"Everyone alright?"

"Yes sir"

"Good"

Suddenly, something landed next to them.

 _"A transmittal blade"_

 _ **"All captains and lieutenants in the Seireitei. The substitute Soul Reaper, Ichigo Kurosaki is heading towards the Soul Society. The Quincy can't steal his Bankai"**_

Katsurou's eyes widened in surprise.

"Everyone stay here and don't enter combat with the Quincies. That's an order!"

"Yes sir!"

"I'll head out and see if anyone needs help"

He Flash Stepped away from the others but as he was on his way, he suddenly stopped.

" _Byakuya's spiritual pressure, I can't sense it. Rukia's and Renji are still there but weak. Don't tell me the enemy got them"_

Katsurou didn't have that much time to worry since just a bit from him, he saw Shūhei get slammed into a wall by a large Quincy.

 _"Oh no you don't"_

He activated his Shikai and sent his shadow wolves towards the Quincy before landing in front of Shūhei.

"You okay?"

"Yeah, don't worry Suro. But listen, that's the guy who killed Sasakibe"

"What?!"

The Quincy started laughing and got the wolves off him.

"Your friend is right, I killed that lieutenant the last time I came here"

He then created this giant arrow that he was about to throw at the two but Yamamoto came just in time to save them.

"Head-captain, said Shūhei"

The Quincy then started to laugh before picking up some sort of medallion and used it to summon this dome of lightnings above him.

"Nostalic isn't it. I heard your lieutenant didn't use his Bankai in over 2000 years. You should be thank me cause you get to see it again"

The two lieutenants looked at the Quincy, amazed by the power of Sasakibe's Bankai that both though was similar to Tōshirō's in the way that it controlls weather.

They then watched how the Quincy attacked Yamamoto with lightning after lightning and when they got ready to go and held him, they noticed that even thought he had taken that many hits, Yamamoto was still standing.

"Chōjirō it must be so bitter for you. Your Bankai...WAS NOT THIS WEAK"

Yamamoto then engulfed the Quincy in flames, burning him until there was nothing left before walking towards the two lieutenants.

"I will not let any of them live. I will slay them all with my own hands"

He then left them to enter the battle.

"Shūhei let's split up and help our captains with their battles"

"Right"

They Flash Stepped in different directions and Katsurou found Jūshirō a bit away.

"Head-captain Yamamoto has entered the battle"

"I know. I can sense his spiritual pressure and he's really angry"

"I think he'll go after their leader"

"You may be right"

They then turned towards their Quincy opponent until the air suddenly got really dry.

"This is without a doubt Zanka no Tachi, said Jūshirō"

"Zanka no Tachi?"

"Head-captain Yamamoto's Bankai"

"He's actually released his Bankai"

"Yes. And if he is that serious to defeat this enemy, then we need to fight just as hard"

"Understood"

They kept fighting against their opponents until suddenly, they felt Yamamoto's spirutal pressure vanish.

"It can't be, said Jūshirō"

"They defeated the head-captain"

Katsurou looked at his father and saw sadness in his eyes. He knew Yamamoto was Jūshirō's teacher and almost a father-figure for him so his death must be hard.

"Dad, we need to defeat these Quincies. We can mourn him later"

"You're right"

The two attacked their opponents and as soon as they managed to defeat them, some sort of explosion happened in the sky.

"Ichigo is here, said Katsurou"

"Yes and it looks like he's heading towards the Quincy leader"

"Let's leave that guy to him then. We have the other Quincies to worry about"

Jūshirō nodded and they started to move to see if anyone needed help somewhere.

 _ **Not long after that, the Quincies left the Soul Society and the chaos they had created behind them with the promise that they would return**_.


	16. Ch 15: Recovering and preparing

**Before the chapter begins I just want to say thank you to everyone who's liked this story so far and I hope that you all will like the remaining chapters (don't know how many yet)**

 **But there was one comment on the last chapter that caught my attention and brought a smile to my face.**

 **That was from dude4anime1. Reading the part were you said you wish Katsurou was a canon character warmed my heart and it means a lot to hear that I've made him that good of a character in your eyes.**

 _ **With the Quincies gone for the time being, the injured Soul Reapers were taken to the 4th division to get their injuries healed.**_

"How's that Lieutenant Ukitake?"

"Much better. Thanks Hanatarō"

"No problem sir"

Retsu then came towards them.

"Lieutenant Ukitake, do you mind helping us heal the injured?"

"Not at all. I'd be glad to help"

"Thank you"

So Katsurou started to walk around the barracks, healing the less injured while the 4th division members who are more experienced healers took take of the worse injuries.

"You seemed to be lucky captain Hirako, your injuries aren't that bad"

"Well, I did fight but that guy wasn't serious with me"

The lieutenant just chuckled as he finished healing the 5th division captain.

When he was done, a 4th division member came up to him.

"Excuse me lieutenant"

"Yes"

"I thought you'd like to know that lieutenants Kuchiki and Abarai just got out of surgery"

"Okay, thank you for telling me"

The healer bowed before she walked away.

"Shall we go tell Ichigo about this, Shinji asked"

"Yeah. They are his friends after all so he deserves to know"

So the two walked down the halls to the entrance of the division were they found Ichigo.

"Ichigo"

"Shinji, Katsurou. Have you guys recieved treatment?"

"Yeah, I've also been helping out a bit since I know healing kidō.

-I was just done healing captain Hirako when we got some news"

"Rukia and Renji are out of surgery, said Shinji"

"Really?"

"Yes, I'm sure it's okay for us to take you to them"

"Thanks guys"

They took Ichigo to the Intensive care part of the barracks were a division member led them to the room Renji and Rukia was in.

"Reiatsu healing wouldn't have been enough to heal their injuries so we had to operate directly so we could suture the reishi in the critial areas, the division member explained

-They are in stable condition now"

She then bowed and told them to find her if anything happens before leaving.

Rukia then woke up and started talking with Ichigo.

"You came back to protect the Soul Society. Thank you"

"Of course I did. Well, I wouldn't call it helping since I was useless"

"Hey, you went and chased their leader away, said Shinji"

"Captain Hirako is right, if you hadn't shown up when you did, then the Quincies may have done even more damage to us, said Katsurou"

A member of the 12th division then appeared in the door and told Ichigo that Mayuri wanted to see him so he left.

"What's up with that guy, said Shinji

-He hasn't even taken fully care of his injuries. Always more concerned about others' well being"

"You can't blame him, that's how Ichigo is, said Katsurou"

"Katsurou, captain Hirako"

The two turned away from the window were they watched Ichigo run towards the 12th and looked at Rukia.

"Why did Ichigo have that pititful look on his face?"

"He has a lot on his mind I guess, said Katsurou

-One of the enemies broke his Zanpakutō and he wasn't able to save a single soul"

"I wouldn't worry about him, said Shinji"

The two then left to let Rukia get some rest since she needed it to recover from her injuries.

"Captain Hirako, aren't you supposed to meet up with the other captains?"

"Oh crap, you're right"

Shinji quickly made his way out of the 4th while Katsurou stayed to help out some more. He was at somepoint told that Byakuya somehow had survived but his condition was critical.

"I see.

- _I'm glad you're okay my friend. Now you just have to recover from whatever happened to you"_

Once he was done at the 4th, Katsurou meet up with some of the other lieutenants.

"So both Renji and Rukia are seriously injured, said Momo"

"Yes, the two of them had to go through surgery due to their injuries but they are in stable condition, said Katsurou"

"Did you hear anything about Izuru while you were there?"

Katsurou could see worry in the younger lieutenant's eyes and sighed.

"I'm afraid not. I did ask Isane at one point but she said that no one had found him and he didn't come there himself.

-So I don't know were he is"

"Right"

"I'm sure he'll be fine Momo, said Rangiku and placed a hand on her shoulder"

"Kira is a strong kid, said Tetsuzaemon"

"I know but during the battle, I sense his spiritual pressure vanish, said Momo"

"Just because it vanished doesn't mean he's dead yet, said Shūhei

-Look at captain Kuchiki. His spiritual pressure vanished and he somehow survived"

"Speaking of the captains, did yours also leave the Seireitei earlier, Omaeda asked"

"My captain said they were meeting up with the Zero division outside the wall, said Rangiku"

"The Zero division!"

"You mean the Royal Guard themselves are coming here, said Shūhei"

"It actually doesn't surprise me seeing how much damage the Quincies did, said Katsurou"

They then saw something fall from the sky and land outside the wall around the Seireitei.

"Guess that's them, said Nanao"

"Hey Suro, you know one of them don't you, said Shūhei"

"Well I can't say I know her that well but she was the 12th division captain when I was a child. Kisuke Urahara took over when she was promoted to the Zero division"

"What is she like, Rangiku asked"

"I remember her being a cheery woman and her lieutenant back then look up to her almost as a mother-figure.

-Right lieutenant Kuna?"

"Yep, Hiyori loved her very much and she was very attached to her until she left.

-I wonder what she would say if she was here to meet her?"

"Guess we'll never know"

Not long after that, they saw something being shoot up into the air somewhere in Rukongai and decided to return to their barracks and wait for their captains to return.

 _ **Later: 13th division.**_

"Captain, lieutenant, an urgent message from Central 46 just arrived, said Kiyone"

"What is it about, Jūshirō asked"

"We don't know, said Sentarō

-Only a captain or lieutenant is allowed to open it"

He then handed an envelope to the captain who took it before dismissing them.

"Wonder what's so urget, said Katsurou"

Jūshirō opened the envelope and read through the message.

"It's informing all captains and lieutenants that a new head-captain has been choosen"

"Who is it?"

Katsurou looked at the paper in his father's hands and read the name of their new superior.

"Shunsui, really?"

"Well, he is the most logical choice.

-Unohana in the head of the 4th division and I don't think Central 46 wants to change division for the greatest healer in the Seireite. As for me..."

"Your illness.

-They're probablt thinking that you aren't good for the position due to how much this division is left in my hands since you're sick often"

"That is probably the reason.

-But I have no doubt that Shunsui will do a good job as head-captain"

"Let's hope so.

-I don't think he'll be that happy about it though seeing how he's the lazy guy he is"

"I'm sure that if Nanao is transferred as well, she'll make sure he does his job"

 _ **After that, the captains and lieutenants all started to prepare themselves for the Quincies to return.**_

 _ **Tōshirō started to train up his skills as a swordsman since he lost his Bankai.**_

 _ **Kensei brought Shūhei to a field somewhere were he had to fight Mashiro with her Hollow mask since Kensei wanted Shūhei to unleash his Bankai.**_

 _ **Sajin visited his great grandfather in a cave outside the Seireitei to learn a secret technique of their clan.**_

 _ **SoiFon was also training outside the Seireitei.**_

On the field were he used to train with Sajin, Katsurou stood with ten of his wolves around him. Soon they all turned back into the energy around his sword.

"Half an hour is my limit right now with ten of them. I need to keep increasing the time they can be summoned.

-If those Quincies come here again I need to be ready. Since I can't risk losing my Bankai to them I'll have to train up the rest of my skills."

 _ **"**_ **You will do fine my master. You are strong even in just your Shikai. You were after all trained not only by the instructors at the academy but also by some of the captains after you became a Soul Reaper"**

"Yeah but one of those were healing"

" **Still. No other lieutenant has been trained by so many captains. Byakuya helped you with making your Flash Step faster and taught you Utsusemi. Komamura taught you how to shield and stand up against an attack from a bigger or stronger enemy. Your father and Shunsui both taught you how to fight with the dual swords of your Bankai. Shunsui even taught you to fight using equal strength in both hands.**

 **-As long as you remember what they taught you and keep increasing those abilites and using that clever head of yours, you will have nothing to worry about."**

 **"** You're right Kuroi

-Let's try again"

He swung the sword and ten new wolves appeared that he gave different commands for them to do along with doing some training when it came to his Kidō.

When he returned to the 13th division a few hours later, he found his father standing outside the barracks.

"Something on your mind, dad?"

"Oh Suro, you're back"

"I am"

He walked over so he stood next to his father.

"So what were you thinking about?"

"I was thinking about going to Rukongai"

"Rukongai?"

"Yes. There's a place there I want to go to while things still are calm"

Katsurou looked at him before he turned his head to look up at the sky before he sighed.

"It has something to do with Mimihagi doesn't it?"

Jūshirō looked at his son a bit surprised before he turned his eyes to the sky as well.

"I actually forgot that I told you about that"

"When I became a Soul Reaper, you thought I was old enough to know and told me everything. That it's what's kept you alive since you were three years old"

He then looked at his father.

"Do you think you'll have to use it?"

"I'm not sure"

"I see"

Katsurou's left hand came to rest on the hilt of his Zanpakutō and in his mind, he could hear the wolf spirit calmly growl.

"I want to come with you to make sure nothing happens but I feel that I have to stay here and help the others"

"Your powers could be a good help depending on the situation"

"I know. But I don't want you to go alone. Who knows if the enemies are keeping an eye on us and will take the chance to attack if you're alone"

"I don't think you have to worry about that"

"There is still a possibility. So why don't you take Kiyone and Sentarō with you as guards"

Jūshirō saw the pleading look in his son's eyes and nodded.

"Okay. If it makes you feel better, I'll take them with me"

"Thanks"

The two smiled at each other before Katsurou looked behind him.

"I know you two have been eavesdropping on us so come out"

From around the corner came the two 3rd seats and bowed behind the lieutenant.

"How much did you hear?"

"Everything from you saying that you feel the need to stay here, said Sentarō"

"I see"

Katsurou turned around to look at the two.

"Can I entrust you two with an important mission?"

"Of course sir!"

"Well then. The captain is going to Rukongai and like you heard me say, I can't go with him.

-So can I trust you two to go with him and make sure nothing happens?"

"Yes sir!"

"Good. Because if something do happen, one of my shadow wolves will have a little fun chasing you two"

"Understood. We won't disappoint you sir!"

"Good"

The two 3rd seats then got up and left their superiors alone.

"Do you have to say things like that to them, Suro?"

"I guess I take after Kaien a bit. Besides, it does help to make them work"

"That I can't disagree with"

Katsurou couldn't help but chuckle at that.

 **Notes:**

 **Since Katsurou grew up in the Seireitei and has known the captains since he was a child, he do know who Kirio Hikifune is.**

 **The shadow wolves does have time limit for how long they can be summoned. The fewer of them there are, the longer the time. This is however just for his Shikai since in Bankai, they can be summoned for how long Katsurou wants.** _So his training is too increase the time limit for when he has more than ten wolves summoned._

 **One thing about the way Katsurou treats the 3rd seats. He doesn't hate them, it's just that their arguing makes his patience very low around them. When he talks to one of them alone, everything is fine but once the two of them argue with each other, he can't stand them that well.**


	17. Ch 16: The second invasion

_**Soon the time of peace came to an end.**_

 _"They should have reached the right district by now. I hope everything goes well"_

Katsurou was standing on top of a building and looked out towards the eastern part of Rukongai.

Suddenly, the buildings started to change and take on some other shape.

"What's going on?"

He jumped off the roof and landed on the street below were a few Soul Reapers stood.

"Lieutenant Ukitake what's happening, one asked"

"I don't know. Whatever this is, it has made the Seireitei vanish

-Join up with as many people as you can and if you encounter a Quincy, do not attack them"

"Yes sir!"

Katsurou then Flash Stepped away from them to try and meet up with another lieutenant or a captain.

" _This has to be the work of the Quincies"_

He then stopped for a moment and focused on the spiritual pressure of the other Soul Reapers.

 _"Shunsui and Nanao are at the 1st division but that blond Quincy I faced is there as well. Captain Hitsugaya and Rangiku are facing someone and I can sense that a Quincy is close to Omaeda._

 _-Are they looking for the people that lost their Bankai?"_

Katsurou looked around before he started to Flash Step again.

 _"Good thing Byakuya is up at the Soul Palace and both Sajin and captain SoiFon are outside the Seireitei right now. The only one here is captain Hitsugaya but with Rangiku by his side, he'll be okay"_

After a while, Katsurou decided to stop and look around.

It was then a Quincy with his red hair styled in a mohawk came towards him.

"I thought I sensed a Soul Reaper around here"

"You're the Quincy that fought Captain Hitsugaya. I thought your spiritual pressure was familliar"

"If you mean that Ice captain then yeah, I fought for a while but then that bastard Cang Du came and took over.

-But I guess I'm lucky since I found you here"

Katsurou grabbed the handle of his sword as fire appeared around the Quincy's hand.

"I'm Sternritter H, "The Heat". The name is Bazz-B"

"I'm Katsurou Ukitake, the lieutenant of the 13th division"

"Wait, you're just a lieutenant. Here I thought I found someone strong"

Suddenly, wolves appeared and used their fangs to bite onto Bazz-B's legs.

"Where the heck did they come from?"

"Those are my little friends"

He looked at Katsurou and saw that he had his Shikai activated.

"I can tell you this Quincy that I'm concidered to be the strongest lieutenant in the Gotei 13"

"Really. In that case..."

Bazz-B held out his hand and pointed a finger towards him.

"Burner Finger 1!"

A narrow beam of fire came from his finger and went towards Katsurou who used Utsusemi to dodge it.

"What?!"

"A beam of fire huh. That was quite similar to one of our Kidō technique, only that one is a lightning instead of fire

-And speaking of Kidō"

Katsurou levitated his Zanpakutō in front of him and lightly hit the hilt so it started to spin.

"Hadō #58 Tenran"

He grabbed the sword's hilt and generated a tornado-like blast towards Bazz-B who was blown into a building.

"Nice hit, Soul Reaper.

-But you need more than that to take me down!"

He leaped up from the hole in the building and landed a bit from Katsurou.

"Burner Finger 2"

Bazz-B concentrated fire in two fingers and swung them towards Katsurou who dodged it but his sleeve got slightly burned.

He then used Utsusemi to dodge the explosion that followed the hit.

"You dodged it..."

"It a technique a friend of mine taught me. It's thanks to that I was able to survive an attack from your blond friend with the sword"

"You mean you faced Haschwalth"

"He tried to attack one of my men when you came a few days ago so I used that technique to save him. But your friend escaped before I could fight him"

He then put his sword back in the sheat.

"Bakudō #62 Hyapporankan"

Katsurou turned around and threw a glowing rod towards Bazz-B that split into hundred more rods before pinning him to a wall.

"Bakudō #30 Shitotsu Sansen"

He drew a triangle in the air and from the corners came three fangs that binded Bazz-B's arms and torso to the wall even more.

With the Quincy stuck to the wall, he took the chance to get away.

 _ **Later.**_

Night had fallen over the Seireitei when Katsurou found Shūhei, Ikkaku and Yumichika.

"Glad to see you guys are okay"

"What happened to you, said Ikkaku"

He pointed at the burned sleeve the lieutenant had.

"I ended up in a confrontation with a Quincy that had fire powers. I fought him for a while before I decided to bind him with Kidō"

"What?! Why didn't you kill the bastard?!"

"That's my question as well, said Yumichika.

-With lieutenant Sasakibe who apparently knew Bankai dead, you and Renji are two of the strongest lieutenants"

"I didn't do it since I thought I couldn't beat him!"

The other three looked at the 13th division lieutenant as he sat down.

"You guys know that I'm not much for killing, I was raised to find peacefull ways out of situations. Sure, I do get serious in battle due to my training but... even I know when an enemy may be stronger than myself.

-The Sternritter said he had fought captain Hitsugaya before someone else showed up and took over. He didn't have that much scratches on him so I figured that he was on the same level if not stronger than the captain"

Shūhei walked over to his best friend but before he could say anything, a giant Sternritter came out of nowhere and knocked all four to the ground.

He was just about to leave when Shūhei wrapped the chain from Kazeshini around his leg.

"You think it's over just because you knocked us out"

The Quincy who had some sort of yellow and red mask over his face grabbed the chain and pulled Shūhei closer to him so he slammed him into the ground.

Just as he was about to stomp on him, Kensei appeared and stopped him.

Katsurou lifted his head of the ground and saw the 9th division captain as well as Rose.

"Captain Muguruma, captain Ōtoribashi"

"I can't believe you let this guy beat you up that easily, said Kensei"

"He kind of came out of nowhere"

"Can you fight?"

"I think so, those guys took a bigger hit than me"

He pointed towards Yumichika and Ikkaku.

"Good. Then be ready to activate your Bankai if needed"

"Yes sir"

"BANKAI.

-Tekken Tachikaze"

The Quincy got this big grin on his face and threw off his cloak.

"I'll make you two stay down for a ten count"

He then tried some sort of flying kick on Kensei who blocked it by raising his arm before the blades in his hands changed to some sort of brass knuckle that he used to punch the Quincy in the stomach.

"Nice hit captain Muguruma"

"Thanks kid. I can't believe Shūhei let himself get beaten by someone like this guy"

Kensei then slammed his fist into the Quincy's stomach again which sent him flying straight into a building.

They then noticed how the Quincy's little sidekick started crying before he cheered for him to get back up which somehow worked and he appeared before them.

He slammed the two captain into nearby buildings before looking around.

"I thought there was a 3rd one standing"

"I'm right here"

Katsurou leaped up from the Quincy's shadow and tried cutting him but he jumped back.

"How and when did you do that?"

"My Zanpakutō gets stronger during the night and I can hide in shadows since those are his domain"

While the Quincy had his focus on Katsurou, Kensei came from behind them but the Quincy turned around and kneeled him in the stomach.

"Captain Muguruma!"

Katsurou then noticed that the Quincy's sidekick was still cheering.

" _Wait a minute. Does he have anything with that Quincy's powers to do?_

 _-_ Captain Ōtoribashi _"_

When Rose looked at him, Katsurou pointed at the small guy and he seemed to understand what to do. He released his Shikai, Kinshara and used it to split the little guy in half.

"How dare you kill an innocent fan, said the Quincy"

"Judge me if you want, said Rose"

"As long as he's not around, you can't use your powers, said Katsurou"

"Ready lieutenant?"

"Yes sir"

"Good, the be ready to back me up.

-BANKAI: Kinshara Butōdan"

Rose entered his Bankai before the two looked at the Quincy.

"I just remember that you haven't told us your name, said Rose

-I'm the captain of the 3rd division, Rōjūrō Ōtoribashi but most people call me Rose"

"I'm Katsurou Ukitake, the 13th division's lieutenant"

"A captain and a lieutenant, I see.

-I'm Sternritter S, "The Superstar". My name is Mask De Masculine"

"That explains how got stronger by the little guy's cheering"

"Lieutenant stand back a bit, said Rose"

"Yes sir"

"My Kinshara's dance troupe you see here is a dance troupe of death and they will be payed with your life.

-Act 1: Sea Drift"

The creatures created from Rose's Bankai started to circle around Mask but while he seemed to panic over water, nothing seemed weird for the other two.

"Act 2: Promtheus"

The creatures raised their hands and Msk started to complain about it being impossible for Rose to control fire and water.

"I control sound. The rhythms in your ears will eat away at your very heart. If it believes it's flames, then you will burn and then die"

Rose was then about to use the next part of his Bankai when Mask did something that surprised the two high ranking officers.

He put his fingers in his ears and destroyed his own eardrums before he shoot a beam from the star on his mask that hit Rose right in the chest.

"Captain Ōtoribashi!"

Katsurou was distracted by the injured captain that he didn't notice that Mask aimed the same beam at him.

But in the last second, Renji appeared and blocked it with Zabimaru. Rukia appeared right behind him.

"Renji, Rukia, you guys are back"

"You okay, Renji asked"

"Yes, that Quincy focused more on the captains than me"

"Good, you and Rukia get them out of here while I take care of this guy"

"Right"

Katsurou carefully got Rose onto his back while Rukia wrapped something around Kensei so she could carry him easier before they both Flash Stepped away.

"Glad to see you guys are back, Rukia"

"Thank you. Our healing and training at the palace took some time but we're here now. Ichigo shouldn't be that far behind us"

"I see"

"What happened by the way? How did that Quincy defeat two captains?"

"He called himself "The Superstar" and I figured that his powers increased whenever his little friend cheered for him. Captain Ōtoribashi cut him down but he managed to knock Captain Muguruma unconscious before he did that

-You can see what happened to captain Ōtoribashi after that. We need to find were Isane is and that's quick"

"What about captain Unohana?"

"I don't know were she is really. No one has seen her or captain Zaraki since you guys were taken to the Soul Palace"

"I see"

 _ **The next day.**_

Katsurou woke up inside a building and looked outside.

"It's morning huh.

- _After we found Isane last night, Rukia and I split up. I decided to find a safe place to sleep and that's how I ended up here. I wonder were she went?"_

He then stood up and stretched a bit before walking outside.

"Time to see if I can find the others again"

He started Flash Stepping around but stopped when he saw what looked like a meteorite above the Seireitei.

"Were did that come from?"

The meteorite soon broke through the shield around the Seireitei but Katsurou who far away enough to see shapes of people, saw someone jump up towards it.

" _Is that captain Zaraki?"_

He then saw how Kenpachi's sword changed from its normal form to a giant ax/cleaver looking weapon.

" _Has he achieved Shikai? I always thought his sword always was in that state but I guess we were all wrong"_

After seeing Kenpachi cut the meteorite and with that destroying it, Katsurou continued to search for his friends.

He soon enough ran into Renji and they in turn found Yumichika, Ikkaku and Shūhei who all had recovered after their encounter with Mask.

"Do you two know your captain has arrived, said Katsurou"

"Yeah, we felt his spiritual pressure, said Ikkaku"

"But from what I can sense, he's surrounded by four Quincies, said Yumichika"

"Let's go over and see if he needs assistance, said Shūhei"

"Not that I think he does but let's go, said Renji"

They went towards the place Kenpachi was at and on the way, Rukia and Byakuya joined them.

"Good to see you're okay, Byakuya, said Katsurou"

"Thank you"

"Let's hurry to were captain Zaraki is, Ichigo is there as well, said Rukia"

"Seriously, said Ikkaku"

"Yes, I sensed his spirutal pressure"

The seven of them hurried over there and found Ichigo surrounded by eight Quincies and Kenpachi was in a small crater, defeated.

One of them was Bazz-B and he was just about to attack Ichigo when Renji activated Zabimaru and blocked.

"You owe me one for that Ichigo.

-Now get going, we'll keep these guys busy while you go after their boss"

Ichigo looked at his friends before he charged towards the tower were the leader of the Quincies, Yhwach was.

"Seven of ya, said Bazz-B

-There's one more of us for a one-on-one"

He then turned to an older Quincy with glasses.

"Are any of them part of the Special war forces?"

"No"

"Seriously! I got no time for you then"

Bazz-B summoned his bow which was in the form of a crossbow but Ikkaku appeared above him and slammed Hōzukimaru into the ground so it shattered under Bazz-B's feet.

All of the Quincies then activated a form called Vollständig before they charged towards the Soul Reapers.

The blast created from their clash was strong enough to send all of them flying in different directions.

Shūhei and Katsurou got out from under some rubble they had landed in.

"Man that hurt, said Shūhei"

"No kidding. That blast was stronger than I thought"

"It looks like we've been seperated from the others"

"They can take care of themselves. Let's just worry about running into a Quincy"

"Are you boys talking about me?"

They looked up and saw a large man with a white beard sitting on a floating basket of some sort.

Both lieutenants placed their hands on the hilts of their Zanpakutō and drew them, ready to fight.

"Oh my, are you going to attack me?"

"What else, said Shūhei"

"You're a Quincy and with that, our enemy, said Katsurou"

Both then leaped towards him and was about to attack when he put his hands together in a heart shape to shoot a beam towards them that hit Shūhei.

"Shūhei, you okay?"

"Yeah nothing to worry about"

But suddenly, Shūhei started to attack Katsurou.

"Shūhei what are you doing? Our enemy is the Quincy, not each other"

"I'm going this for Pepe!"

"Pepe?"

Katsurou pushed Shūhei away from him and glared at the Quincy.

"What did you do to him?"

"That's my power. I'm not Sternritter L "The Love" for nothing"

"I see. That beam you hit Shūhei with, it's your way to take control and manipulate your opponents to do what you want"

"Aren't you a clever one"

Katsurou growled a bit in anger before he dodged an attack from Shūhei.

"Sorry about this my friend.

-Bakudō #63 Sajō Sabaku"

A golden chain came from Katsurou and wrapped around Shūhei.

Katsurou then took the chance to get away since he felt Byakuya's spiritual pressure nearby.

" _If we team up, we might be able to take down that guy"_

 _ **That's that chapter done.**_

 _ **The next one will be Katsurou and Byakuya teaming up against Pepe before going to the 12th division in order to get to the Soul Palace with the others.**_


	18. Ch 17: Secrets revealed

Katsurou kept running until he found Byakuya who had defeated three Quincies.

"Byakuya!"

"What's the matter Katsurou?"

"The Sternritter Shūhei and I ended up against took control of him somehow"

"What?"

"I managed to bind him but it's not gonna hold forever. I assume they'll follow me here"

"I see"

Suddenly, Shūhei came out of nowhere and attacked but both dodged it.

"I told you so"

"Activate your Shikai"

"You got it"

"Scatter SenbonZakura"

"Howl towards the Shining moon, Kuroi Ōkami"

With their swords in Shikai form, Byakuya put up his blade petals as a shield before Katsurou summoned a few of his wolves.

"Let's try to knock him out, that should be enough for that Quincy's control to vanish"

"Okay"

The two then started clash blades with Shūhei until Byakuya used his blade petals to distract him long enough for Katsurou to hide in his shadow and appear behind him, hitting the back of his neck to knock him out.

The two then looked towards Pepe who had arrived.

"All that's left to do is to crush the manipulator so the puppet strings will be severed"

"As I expected from you, Byakuya Kuchiki. So scary"

Pepe then put his hands together in heart shape.

"Byakuya don't let that hit you, that's how he takes control of people!"

The two dodged it and landed on two pieces of rubble.

"Any ideas Katsurou?"

"I'm trying to think"

The lieutenant then seemed to get an idea.

"Byakuya, surround my wolves in your blades"

"That is not a bad idea"

"Let's go then.

-Kage Pakku!"

Katsurou swung his sword and five wolves appeared.

"Kōgeki!"

The wolves growled before running towards Pepe and as they did, Byakuya sent his blade petals to surround them.

"Sakura no Koi Ōkami!"

With their bodies mostly covered by Byakuya's blades, Katsurou's wolves attacked Pepe, leaving smaller cuts on his body.

"So you two won't accept my love and attack me.

-I won't have any of that"

Pepe drew a heart in the air with both hands and once it was completed, he entered his Vollständig.

In this form, his clothes disappeared except his shoes and a thong around his lower part. His beard split into two more sections forming something similar to a star. He also gained two wings and a halo shaped like a Quincy star.

 _"That is something I didn't have to see ever, Katsurou thought"_

"Take a good look at my body"

" _No thanks"_

"It makes you want to love me, right?"

Pepe then grabbed a piece of the rope that made up the basket he was sitting on and it became hearts.

"Love Rope"

He sent the heart towards the two and two got stuck on Byakuya's shoulder and two on Katsurou's.

Pepe however seemed to have forgotten about Katsurou's wolves since they came and with their bodies still covered in Byakuya's blades, they cut off the rops holding their master and his friend.

"Sōkatsui!"

The two turned around and stood side by side as they aimed their Kidō spells at Pepe, giving him burns over his body.

"You seemed to forget about my wolves, said Katsurou"

Pepe looked at them before he pulled his bow out of his mouth.

"This is the ultimate..."

He wasn't able to say more since a foot came and kicked him in the face which sent him flying.

"You two, said Byakuya"

Standing behind the two were Kensei and Rose but their skin was in a reddish color and they had black markings over their eyes.

"What's happened to them, said Katsurou.

-Last time I saw them, Rukia and I took them to Isane so she could heal them"

They then heard a familiar laugh and turned to see Mayuri come towards them.

"We arrived just in the nick of time"

"What have you done to Muguruma and Ōtoribashi, Byakuya asked"

"I saved those two, thank you very much"

Mayuri explained that the two captains were controlled by a Quincy with the power to use her blood to turn people to zombies. By using a few Arrancars he had revived, he defeated them and used a drug to take control over them.

"You should have just killed them"

"Why must you always play with other people like that, said Katsurou"

"Our opinions clash as usual, said Mayuri.

-Wouldn't you two say that the deepest desire of the Gotei 13 is to protect the Seireitei until our last breaths?"

"That's absurd, said Byakuya"

Suddenly, one of Pepe's love beams came and hit Kensei but it didn't have any affect on him and he just punched the Quincy in the face which sent him flying into a building a bit away.

"I guess they pretty much have things under control here, said Katsurou"

He then walked over to Shūhei and lifted him onto his back before he and Byakuya left.

After a bit, they saw beams of light shoot up towards the sky.

"What is that light?"

"It's coming from inside the Seireitei"

"As long as it doesn't come towards us, I'm sure we don't have worry"

"You're right. Let's keep going"

After a while, they actually found Kisuke outside a building.

"Mr Urahara"

"Ah good timing you two, I was just about to send out a message to call everyone over here"

"For what exactly, Byakuya asked"

"I'll explain when everyone else arrives.

-Come inside now, it looks like Hisagi needs some treatment"

They entered the building with Kisuke and found that some people already was there.

"Katsurou, your father is helping Lieutenant Kotetsu and 3rd seat Yamada with a few injured in the other room, said Kisuke.

-You should probably leave lieutenant Hisagi with them"

"He's returned to the Seireitei?"

"Yes, a while ago, said Nanao"

"I see.

- _Guess I was focused on the battles too much to sense him"_

He walked into the other room Kisuke was talking about and saw that the three was healing Ikkaku and Yumichika.

"Lieutenant Ukitake, said Hanatarō"

"Hey, do you guys think you can take care of one more person?"

"What happened to lieutenant Hisagi, Isane asked"

"A Quincy we were fighting took control over him so I knocked him out"

"I see. Put him over there"

Katsurou walked over to were she pointed and placed his friend on a table before looking at his father.

"Good to have you back captain"

"Thank you"

The two smiled at each other before Katsurou walked back into the room the others were in.

"Do you two know anything about the 3rd or 9th division captains, Kisuke asked"

"They're moving along with Kurotsuchi, said Byakuya"

"Alright, then they will probably get here eventually"

"What about the 7th, Katsurou asked"

"They will not be joining us. They have matters of their own to attend due to captain Komamura's injuries.

-The head-captain is currently speaking with Central 46 and I no one has heard from the 10th division in a while"

"I see"

A while later came Rukia, Renji, Shinji, Momo, SoiFon and Omaeda and Kisuke explained the situation to them before looking at everyone in the room.

"We're going to break into the Soul Palace"

"Are we even capable of that, Shinji asked"

"Yes or rather, we should be thanks to the things Yūshirō brought with him"

The light above the door to the room were people were being treated then turned off and Shinji seemed very surprised that Jūshirō was one of the people walking out of there.

"What the hell are you doing Ukitake?! You're not the one who needs medical attention"

"If I'm in a good state of health then I can help heal others"

"You know captain Hirako, my father does have very profound knowledge when it comes to healing due to him being sick very often, said Katsurou"

"As expected of our captain, said Kiyone"

 _"Were did those two come from? I guess they were in there and I didn't notice them"_

"Everyone besides captain Zaraki has been healed enough for them to stand up and walk, said Jūshirō"

"Everyone besides who can stand up and walk..."

Everyone turned to the door and saw Kenpachi standing behind the other three that had been healed.

"Alright let's get this show started, said Kisuke

-Everyone stand inside the circle and fill these orbs with your spirit energy"

Kisuke handed out the orbs to everyone and they stood inside the circle while he opened the ceiling.

The doors to another room then opened and in came Hiyori, Love, Lisa and Hachi, the remaining Visored who had stayed in the world of the living while their friends got reinstated as captains in the Gotei 13.

Hiyori started to argue with Shinji a bit before she poured some sort of liquid into the circle they were standing in.

Kisuke then told them to go and change into Shihakushō so they walked out of the room to do that.

"So what exactly are we going to do with the spirit energy we put in these orbs, Katsurou asked"

"I will be creating a gate with it, said Kisuke"

He explained that it was a method to either use now or never and that they had a chance thanks to Ichigo who broke through the barriers to the palace.

"Then let's get moving, said Kenpachi"

 **Suddenly** , everything started to shake.

"Are we under attack, said Ikkaku"

"No I can't sense anyone nearby, said SoiFon"

"This is..."

Everyone turned to look at Kisuke.

"The Soul King has died"

"What the fuck is the zero division doing, said Shinji"

"I don't want to think about it but the zero division must have been whiped out and Ichigo didn't make it over there in time

-At this rate, the Soul Society, Hueco Mundo and the world of the living, will all be destroyed"

"We got to do something, Renji shouted

-Isn't there something we can do?!"

Jūshirō then stepped forward and what looked like shadows rose from his back.

"I shall take the place of the Soul King"

"You can do such thing, Kisuke asked"

"I'll go into detail later"

Jūshirō then let his Haori fall to the ground and his kosode fell off as well, revealing that the source of the shadows was something on his back. He looked at his lieutenants, mostly Katsurou with sorrow in his eyes before drawing his sword.

"Mimihagi please lend me your powers, with the power you've granted me I shall release it"

The shadows on Jūshirō's back then rose and took the form of what looked like a right hand with an eye on.

He then explained that he had had his illness since he was three years old and that his white hair was an aftereffect of it. He also told them taht he was supposed to die back then.

"Does the name Mimihagi ring a bell?"

"Just the name, said Kisuke

-A mythical god from folklore told around the outskirts of east Rukongai if I'm not mistaken"

"It's a one-eyed god who's legend circulates through the 76th disctrict of east Rukongai. My parents were very superstitious and when I was labelled as a lost cause and abandoned me, they immediatly carried me to the shrine of Mimihagi, to make a prayer, offering my lungs as sacrifice.

-Thanks to that I lived on and became a Soul Reaper who served the Seireitei"

Blood then came from Jūshirō's mouth and Rukia was about to run over to him when Katsurou held out his arm, stopping her.

"My lungs are being consumed by Mimihagi's power. That power is a ritual that will eventually spread and consume all my internal organs... it is known as Kamikake"

"Captain did you intend for this to happen from the very start, Rukia asked

-You knew something like this would happen and invoke the Kamikake"

"Yes. From the moment I knew the reason I survived, I always suspected a day like this may arrive. I have served with this life I thought was once lost...So it is an honor to die for the Gotei"

The shadow hand then rose towards the sky as Jūshirō let out a scream of pain.

"The quaking has stopped, said Kisuke"

Everyone noticed that he was right.

"How long will he last, SoiFon asked

-I don't think that Ukitake will become a complete substitute for the Soul King. This stability comes from cosuming the rest of his life force. How much until then?"

"Captain..., said Omaeda"

"She's right, said Katsurou"

Everyone, especially Rukia and the two 3rd seats looked at him. His eyes showed so many emotions but he himself looked calm.

"Once his life force has fully been consumed by Mimihagi, the quaking is most likely to begin again. We don't have much time so we need to hurry and get to the Soul Palace"

Mayuri then appeared along with the visored so Kisuke gave them the same orbs as the others and they managed to fill it with the missing reiatsu thanks to a machine Mayuri had.

But suddenly, the ground started to shake again and Mimihagi looked like it was removed by force from Jūshirō's body and outside, the sky was covered by something dark.

A few of them leaped through the hole in the ceiling to see what was happening and soon came back down followed by Shunsui as well as Bazz-B and two female Quincies, Liltotto and Giselle.

Together with the three Quncies they managed to open a gate to the Soul Palace.

Once there, they started to make their way towards the tallest building were they figure that the enemy would be.

 _But no one of them seemed to notice that Katsurou ran in another direction._

" **Master you need to calm down"**

"How can I calm down when I just saw my father die because of what the Quincy leader did to the Soul King?!"

" **MASTER! STOP AND LISTEN TO ME!"**

Katsurou stopped running and Kuroi Ōkami manifested in front of him. The wolf looked at him with sorrowful eyes before he placed his forehead against his master's.

" **I'm really sorry about your father, he deserved a better end. But he did what he did to try and save the Soul King"**

A few tears started to slide down Katsurou's face as the emotions he had kept inside him earlier was released. He closed his eyes letting the tears fall.

"I know"

 **"Your father gave his life to save not only the Soul King but the entire Soul Society where everyone he cares about the most were, especially you.**

 **-See this as your chance to honor him. Defeat the Quincies and make him proud of the warrior and Soul Reaper you've become"**

 **"** You're right Kuroi. My father wouldn't want me to grieve him for too long since this is a day we both knew would come sooner or later"

" **That's right"**

Kuroi lifted his head from his master and sat in front of him. Katsurou saw how he did a motion with his head over and over and he understood what he wanted. He walked closer and put his arms around the wolf's neck.

"Thank you Kuroi. You've always been there when I've needed you the most"

" **Of course. I will always be here when you need me Suro. Especially now when you've lost the most important person in your life"**

 **"** You know... this is the first time I hear you call me by my name instead of master"

" **I've been calling you master since the day we meet. I thought I could try using your name for a change"**

They stayed like that for a while until Katsurou let go of his Zanpakutō spirit and dried the remaining tears.

" **There's something that you should know Suro"**

"What is it?"

" **I've been hiding something from your for years now"**

 **"** What? Haven't you always told me that you won't keep secrets from me."

" **I know and I'm sorry. But there wasn't really any need for you to know"**

 **"** Okay pal spit it out"

Kuroi stood up and looked at his master.

" **The Bankai you've had up to this point is only half of my true power"**

 **"** What?"

" **Back when you first learned how to use Bankai I thought there was no need to give you full power since you were just a 4th seat back then. But with everything that has happened, I think it's time to let you know the true name of my Bankai"**

 **"** Then tell me so we can go and take down the Quincies who disturbed the peace here"

" **Of course. The true name of my Bankai is..."**

 **Translations:**

 _ **Kage Pakku: Shadow Pack**_

 _ **Sakura no Koi Ōkami: Dark wolves of the cherry blossom.**_

 **Other:**

 _ **Yūshirō: Yoruichi's younger brother**_

 _ **Kosode: The black "jacket/shirt" worn by the Soul Reapers**_

 _ **Mimihagi: the right-hand of the Soul King that governs stillness.**_


	19. Ch 18: The black wolf king

A Quincy was looking around for intruders when suddenly...

"BANKAI!"

He followed the shout and found Katsurou.

He had a black pelt over his shoulders and his feet looked like paws like his first Bankai. But now, instead of holding two swords, his hands were empty and covered in the same dark energy as his feet. The pelt also seemed to be made out of some sort of energy.

"Kage No Ōkami-Ō"

He turned around and looked at the Quincy who saw the emotions in his eyes. Anger, sorrow and hatred.

"You there, you're a Sternritter aren't you"

"I'm Sternritter N, Robert Accutrone. Honored by his majesty to protect this place from intruders.

-And who are you, Soul Reaper?"

Katsurou looked at him, emotions still burning in his eyes as he straightened his back and stood proud.

"Lieutenant of the 13th division, Katsurou Ukitake. I'm the son of captain Jūshirō Ukitake and the next head of the Ukitake family"

"You have a lot of titles and in Soul Reaper years, you seem to still be very young

-You even have a Bankai"

"I'm actually one of three lieutenants to know Bankai. The other two are my co-lieutenant and the lieutenant of the 6th"

"I see. Tell me lieutenant, how come you don't have any weapons in your Bankai?"

"I don't need any weapons when I can just do this"

Katsurou held out his hand and the dark energy around his arm took the form of a gauntlet similar to SoiFon's Suzumebachi but with three long claws instead of a stinger.

 _ **Flashback:**_

"So what exactly can I do in this new Bankai?"

 **"Your powers has always been that you can mix your reiatsu with shadows in order to create wolves, your new Bankai will take it a step further"**

"A step further?"

 **"Yes. Instead of creating something easy such as wolves, this Bankai will let you create weapons"**

"Weapons made out of shadows?"

" **That's right. You can say that your Shikai and the Bankai you've had until now is taking their power from my wolf form**

 **-Kage No Ō** **kami** **-Ō takes power from my human form that's capable to fight with weapons"**

"I'm afraid I don't get it, Kuroi"

 **"You know how your shadow copies the way you move"**

 **"** Yeah"

" **That is your power, you can create shadow copies of weapons you've seen your friends us.**

 **-Sure, they will be based on theirs but still a bit changed to fit your powers"**

 _ **End Flashback.**_

" _So this is what you meant with shadow copies of my friends' weapons"_

He then Flash Stepped closer to Robert and tried to cut him with the claws but he leaped back and pulled out a gun and started to shoot at him.

Katsurou Flash Stepped around to dodge the bullets that actually was tiny arrows until one hit his leg.

"It's useless to run, lieutenant"

"Really.

-You know, I once faced an opponent similar to you"

"And who would that be?"

"His name was Coyote Starrk. He was the Primera Espada and with that, the strongest Arrancar.

-He too fought using guns so I know how to fight people like you"

The gauntlet then reverted back into the black energy before taking the shape of a dual bladed scythe with the energy around the blades.

"What is this power of yours?"

"Just like a shadow copies your movements, I can manipulate the energy around my hands to take the form of a shadow weapon similar to my friends'.

-I can however only summon one at a time, so dual wielding weapons becomes a single one"

Katsurou then threw the scythe towards Robert who used Hirenkyaku to dodge it but Katsurou pulled a black rope that was connected to it to make it change direction and cut the Quincy in the shoulder.

He himself however had to dodge it as it returned to him.

" _How can Shūhei fight without hurting himself with those things flying around?"_

"It seems that you can't fully control that weapon"

Robert appeared behind him and shoot his leg again and he leaped back when Katsurou swung the scythe and his feet.

The lieutenant got up and placed a hand over the wounds on his leg, using his healing abilities to at least stop the bleeding from them.

He then formed the energy around his hands into a black sword with a grey torn band coming from the hilt before he leaped a bit away from the Quincy

"Kage No Ōkami No Kōgeki"

Thrusting the sword forward, Katsurou sent a massive pack of shadow wolves towards Robert and they enveloped him in an avalanche of darkness.

Once they disappeared, Robert had cut over his body that looked like bite and claw marks.

"I'm not done, Soul Reaper

-Grimaniel"

As he said the name, Robert got wings and a halo made out of reishi.

"I take it that's your Vollständig"

"That's right.

-You fought Pepe in this form didn't you?"

"Yeah and his is something I just want to forget that I saw"

"You're not the first one"

Robert then moved with incredible speed and appeared behind Katsurou, aiming his gun and the lieutenant's heart but he used Utsusemi to get away.

Shooting at him multiple arrow bullets, Robert managed to hit him a few times which made Katsurou fall down on one knee.

"Not so fast now are we"

"You don't know how fast I can be"

The dark energy transformed to Katsurou's Shikai sword and he moved closer with a very quick speed and cut the Quincy multiple times before leaping back.

Then, before Robert could attack him, Katsurou disappeared.

"Where did you go?"

Robert looked around until he was stabbed in the back. He looked at his shadow and saw Katsurou rise from it as he fell to his knees.

"How did...you do that?"

"My Zanpakutō has control of everything related to darkness. The shadows is his domain and I can use them as I want. As you just saw I can hide in them and surprise attack my enemy"

Robert looked at his opponent as he walked to stand in front of him.

"Tell me, what is your reason to fight?"

"My reason to fight, at least right now... is my father"

"Your father?"

"Yes. He used to be the captain that I served. He died recently trying to save the Soul King that your leader killed.

-I wanted to honor his memory by using everything he taught me to defeat you Quincies"

The sword in his hand then changed to a weapon similar to Jūshirō's Shikai with a piece of black fur hanging from the end of the handle.

Katsurou looked at the sword and he could hear his father's words eco in his mind as a single tear slid down his cheek.

 _ **"If something happens to me, I'll entrust my heart to you my son."**_

"I see. You were a worthy opponent, Katsurou Ukitake"

"Same for you, Robert Accutrone"

Katsurou then struck the sword right through Robert's heart before it turned into energy again.

He looked at his fallen opponent before he turned his gaze to the palace.

 _"It's your turn, king of the Quincies"_

He started to walk but soon, the pain from his injuries took over and as his Bankai disappeared, he fell to his knees.

He soon managed to get up long enough to sit down against a wall were he now tried to heal his own injuries.

" _That Robert got me harder than I thought"_

He then looked at an area quite a bit away.

 _"Shunsui is fighting one of them, captains Kurotsuchi and Zaraki too as well as Byakuya and captain Hirako._

 _-But why am I feeling the spiritual pressure from Arrancars close to Kisuke and Mrs Yoruichi?_

"LIEUTENANT!"

Katsurou was brough out of his thoughts by the shout for him.

 _"What do you know. For once I'm happy to hear those two yell"_

He looked up and saw Kiyone and Sentarō come towards him.

"There you are sir, we were worried that we wouldn't find you, said Kiyone"

"What happened to you, Sentarō asked"

"I defeated one of the Sternritter"

"That's amazing lieutenant, said Kiyone"

Sentarō then helped Katsurou stand up before putting an arm around him and the lieutenant's arm over his shoulders to support him.

"What are we going to do now sir?"

"Well I'm not quite in the condition to keep fighting so I don't think the head-captain will complain if we head back to the 12th. The battle down there may be over by now"

The two nodded and led their superior back to were they had arrived. There, Katsurou reached into his uniform and took out something that Mayuri had given him earlier.

" _ **If you want to return here before the rest of us. Just press the button on this and place it in front of you. A gate should then appear that will bring you back here"**_

Katsurou pressed it and asked Kiyone to put it on the ground. She did as he told her and a gate then opened.

They went through it and returned to the room in the 12th division were they had opened the gate earlier.

There, Sentarō helped his superior to sit down against a wall.

"Thank you"

The trio then looked to the side and saw that the body of their deceased captain still laid there.

" **Suro used that kidō you found a while back"**

 _"You're right Kuroi. I forgot about that but I may actually be able to save him with that. I just hope that I remember the incantation._

 _-_ Kiyone please find your sister. I need some help with my injuries"

"Yes sir"

Kiyone left the room and Katsurou made his way to his father's body. He held his hands over his chest and as reiatsu appeared around them, he began an incantation.

"Rulers of life and death let my reiatsu heal and my soul remain intact. Ruler of death relinquish your hold of the one whose life is on the verge of being lost. Ruler of life let your energy flow back into this body. With the reiatsu of the strong, restore what's been damaged or lost"

As soon as the last words was said, the reiatsu around Katsurou's hands grew bigger.

" _Please work"_

After about ten minutes, it disappeared and Katsurou sent a slight Kidō lightning from his palm into his father's body before he started to fall backwards

Kiyone and Isane then came just as Sentarō managed to catch the lieutenant so his head wouldn't hit the ground.

"What happened, Isane asked"

Sentarō quickly explained what had happened before Isane knelt next to Jūshirō and placed a hand over his chest. The other two could then see her eyes widen.

"I can't believe it"

"What is it sis?"

"Whatever lieutenant Ukitake was doing has restored everything in the captain's body and healed him"

"Is that even possible, Sentarō asked"

"I don't know. We'll have to ask the lieutenant when he wakes up but now he needs to rest. It seems he used all of his remaining energy in order to use that Kidō. Captain Ukitake also needs to rest, from what I can tell, he's going to be alright"

 _ **Katsurou's inner world.**_

Katsurou opened his eyes and found himself laying under a tree and against something soft.

He slowly turned his head and saw that he was laying against Kuroi.

"You did well Suro"

"I couldn't have done it without you buddy.

-But even though I defeated that Quincy, I'm not proud of myself for killing him"

"You had many emotions running through you back there, they clouded your mind and let the anger control you"

The giant wolf then nuzzled his face against his master's side.

"Rest for now Suro. You deserve it and you have used up a lot of your energy. Both during the battle and now when you used that Kidō.

-I'm sure everything will be fine when you wake up"

Katsurou smiled tiredly at his Zanpakutō spirit before closing his eyes, drifting off into sleep.

 _ **Not long after that, Ichigo managed to defeat the Quincy king, Yhwach and with that, ending the war.**_

 **Notes:**

 **I know I wrote in an earlier chapter that Katsurou doesn't fight to kill but here, I had him kill Robert. That's because his anger towards Yhwach and the sadness over his father's death clouded his mind and he didn't think straight like he usually do** **.**

 **Other:**

 **Hirenkyaku: A Quincy technique similar to Flash Step.**

 **Kage No Ōkami No Kōgeki = attack on the shadow wolves.**

 **Grimaniel: God's Step**


	20. Ch 19: recovery

_**After the war ended, the injured were all transported to the 4th division were every member worked hard to heal them along with some help from Orihime.**_

A week had now passed since the war ended and Isane was checking on some of the injured.

She had just finished her check up on Katsurou when he opened his eyes.

"Oh lieutenant Ukitake you're awake. How are you feeling?"

"Okay I guess"

He slowly sat up and Isane placed her hand that was glowing with reiatsu on his back.

"Everything seems fine but I would like you to stay here and rest for a few days. You did after all use up all of your energy a week ago"

"I've been asleep for a week?"

His eyes then widened as he remembered what had happened.

"Isane how's my father? Is he..."

"Don't worry, he's gonna be okay. I don't know what you did back there but you saved his life"

She then got a slightly sad expression on her face.

"But he's unconscious and will probably be for a while"

"I see"

Isane could see a mix of relief and worry in Katsurou's eyes as turned them down to look at his hands.

"Can I ask you what you did back there"

"That was an ancient kidō I read about in a book some years back. It was created by the very first healer in the Gotei 13 and has the power to restore anything to a healthy state.

-If someone has been sick for a while, that Kidō can heal whatever part of their body that has been sick to a state before it happened or if they've lost a part of their body, restore it. In my father's case, it restored every organ in his body that Mimihagi consumed"

"I see. And I guess you used another Kidō to get his heart to start beating again"

"I did. A weak lightning to be exact since that was all I had enough energy to do"

"I see. But if you've known that healing Kidō for a few years, why haven't you used it earlier to heal the captain's illness?"

"I couldn't, not as long as Mimihagi was a part of my father's body due to the way it affected him. The only way to use it was if Mimihagi somehow left him which it did when he was trying to save the Soul King.

-I know it sounds selfish but I just couldn't let my father die thanks to that bastard Yhwach"

Isane saw how he clutched his hands into fists and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"It's not selfish at all. He's your father after all and you didn't want to lose him. I would probably have done the same thing if it was Kiyone"

Katsurou looked at her and she smiled.

"I'll go and ask Iemura to take you to the captain and you can stay with him during the time you're here to recover"

"Thank you Isane"

"You're welcome"

Isane walked out of the room and Iemura came in a short while later.

"Good to you see you're okay lieutenant"

"Thanks"

"Lieutenant Kotetsu asked me to take you to your captain so let's go"

"Right"

Katsurou slowly stood up and Iemura placed his arm around him to support him. They then walked out and down a long hall until they reach the right room.

They walked in and Iemura helped Katsurou over to the chair next to the bed.

"The oxygen mask is just a precaution. His lungs are healthy but weak after what happened a week ago"

"I understand. Thank you Iemura"

The 3rd seat nodded before he walked out of the room.

Once he had closed the door, Katsurou looked down at his father with hopeful eyes as he saw how the quilt rose and fell as he breathed.

He then grabbed his father's hand.

"Dad, I don't know if you can hear me but I'm here and I'm so relieved that you are going to be okay"

 _ **The next day.**_

After a night of uneasy sleep, Katsurou was now sitting next to his father's bed again.

After a while, there was a light knock on the door and Shunsui came in.

"Hi kiddo"

"Hi... uncle Shunsui"

Shunsui smiled as he walked up to him and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"It's good to see you're okay"

He then turned his eye to look down at his unconscious best friend. A sad smile cross his face as he leaned down to brush a piece of hair away from his closed eyes.

"I'm glad you're still with us old friend"

Shunsui then sat down on the other chair in the room and there was silence between them until he saw the worry in Katsurou's eyes.

"Suro I know you're worried about Juu after all that happened but you need to remember that he's stronger than you think.

-During all the years I've known him, he's always pulled through the worse attacks of that illness and now when his body is free from it, I'm sure that he will pull through once again"

"I know. Isane assured me that he will wake up once his body has healed some more but it's hard not to worry. We did see him die after all"

"We did. But thanks to you, your father is still here with us"

Shunsui placed a hand on Katsurou's shoulder to make the lieutenant look at him.

"I was worried too you know, until I heard what you did"

"You were?"

"Of course I were. I was worried and scared that I had lost my best friend.

-Jūshirō told me ages ago what would happen if Mimihagi was removed from him. When I arrived at the 12th were the rest of you were and saw him, I was afraid. Afraid that one of the most important people left in my life was gone"

"Besides Yamamoto and Unohana, right?"

"Yes. Those two, Jūshirō as well as you and Nanao are the most important people in my life. Old-man Yama was my teacher and to me and Juu, he was like a father. Unohana was my senior, the oldest captain besides the two of us. Nanao is my very own niece and you... you're like the nephew I never had.

-As for Juu. We've been best friends for centuries but to me he's more like a brother. So when I heard that he was still alive, I couldn't believe it at first until I came here a few days ago and saw it for myself"

A slight smile appeared on Katsurou's face and the two talked for a little while before Shunsui had to leave. He may recover from injuries himself but he was still the head-captain so he had work to do.

 _ **Later:**_

It was around midday when Shūhei decided to drop by.

"Hey, how are you Suro?"

"I'm okay. Just need to stay here for a few days after what happened"

"Yeah, I heard about that. That you were able to pull off a Kidō that strong but still fall unconscious"

"Well, that new Bankai of mine drained my energy a bit since I didn't know how to fully control it"

"Guess you're back to square 1 then"

"Yeah. Once everything has been rebuilt, I'll start training to fully understand and control my new abilities"

"Maybe we can do it together. Captain Muguruma had me train before the Quincies arrived since he wanted me to use mine"

"Wait, you have a Bankai?"

"Not fully. Kazeshini is not that easy to subjugate. I can manifest him here but I have yet to defeat him"

"Well, your Zanpakutō has always been crazy when it comes to fighting"

"That is very true

-Oh, by the way, I bought this on the way here"

Shūhei placed the box he had been carrying on a table and opened it, in it was some Onigiri.

"I thought you would like something to eat so I bought some for us to share"

"Thanks Shūhei"

The 9th division lieutenant gave one of them to him before sitting down on the other chair in the room.

The two talked for a while and the entire time, Shūhei couldn't help but notice the worry in his friend's eyes despite them talking and laughing together.

 _ **Katsurou stayed by his father's side everyday, waiting for him to wake up. Most of the time he just talked about memories from when he was a little boy.**_

 _ **Then, two weeks later...**_

Katsurou sat in the chair next to the bed as Isane did her check up.

"Everything looks good. He has really grown stronger so hopefully he will wake up soon"

"Right"

Isane was just about to leave when both heard a slight groan and turned their heads to see Jūshirō's eyelids move.

"Lieutenant Ukitake go and find Iemura, quickly"

"Got it"

Katsurou got up and walked out of the room to find the 3rd seat. Once he did, he was forced to wait outside the room for half an hour before Iemura and Isane came out.

"He's awake. A bit tired but awake enough to talk"

"Did you tell him about..."

"All I told him is that we've won the war and how long he has been asleep. I thought you wanted to tell him the rest"

"You thought right"

Isane looked at him and smiled before stepping to the side.

"Go in to him. I told him you were here and he wanted to see you"

"Right. And Isane, can you send a message to the head-captain about this? I'm sure he wants to know"

"Of course"

Katsurou smiled at his friend and walked into the room. He sat down and saw how his father looked up at him with a tired smile.

"I guess you wonder what happened"

Jūshirō nodded and Katsurou took a deep breath before he started to tell him what had happened.

"...I've been here waiting for you to wake up since then"

He then looked away as tears appeared in his eyes from the memories of that day.

"Suro look at me"

Katsurou turned his head and looked at his father. Jūshirō then lifted his hand to his son's face just as a tear slided down his cheek.

"I'm so sorry"

Katsurou placed his hand over his father's and he lifted it from his face.

"Don't blame yourself dad. You did what you thought was the right thing to try and save the Soul King"

"Still, you're my son and seeing that look you had back there is something I never wanted to see.

-Seeing that pain in your eyes made my heart ache"

A small smile appeared on Katsurou's face and some more tears slided down his cheeks as he leaned closer to his father and hugged him.

Jūshirō lifted one of his arms and placed it on his son's back before whispering...

"I'm proud of you. My brave and strong Katsurou"


	21. Ch 20: Reunions

Once he released the hug, Katsurou dried the tears with his sleeve.

Then the door opened and Shunsui came in.

"Shun"

"Hey. I'm glad to see you're awake Juu"

He walked over to them and stood next to Katsurou.

"You had me worried... I was scared I'd lose you old friend"

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to worry anyone"

"It's okay. You're alive and on the road to recovery"

The two friends smiled at each other and Shunsui gave his friend a quick hug before he sat down in the chair on the other side of the bed and took off his hat.

The three of them talked for a while until Jūshirō's eyes looked like they were about to close.

"Get some rest Jūshirō, you need it to recover"

Jūshirō nodded before his eyes closed and soon, he was fast asleep.

"He must have been more tired than we thought, said Shunsui"

"Yeah. Though I did expect it to happen sooner or later. It's only been two hours since he woke up and I figured that he wouldn't stay awake for too long"

"You were right"

Shunsui looked down at his sleeping friend with a smile before looking at Katsurou.

"We should let him sleep without us making noises"

"I'm with you on that"

Both stood up and walked out of the room as quietly as they could.

They then walked down the halls and out of the division.

"Well I better go and tell the others that our captain has woken up"

"Sound like a wise idea Suro"

The two then went in different directions. Shunsui needed to get back to the 1st division while Katsurou went to the 13th.

When he got there, he saw the others carrying things to different places to rebuild the walls of the barracks. When they noticed him, he gave them a smile and everyone stopped what they were doing.

"Everyone, as you all may know, both the captain and I have recovered at the 4th division for a few weeks now. I was released from their care a week ago and today...the captain has finally woken up.

-It will probably take some time before he can come back but now we can be sure that he will"

Everyone smiled and cheered at his words before they all returned to work and Rukia came up to him.

"Is it true what you said?"

"Rukia why would I lie about my father waking up after being asleep for three weeks"

"Good point"

Katsurou chuckled a bit

"Are you okay with leading these guys on your own? I will be here as much as I can but..."

"Don't worry Katsurou. I can handle everything on my own. You just stay with the captain and make sure he's strong enough before coming back"

"I will"

He then turned to walk away but stopped and looked back at Rukia.

"Why don't you come by someday. I'm sure he'd appreciate a visit from you"

Katsurou left the 13th and made his way up on a hill were he sat down under a lone tree watching over the Seireitei. He loved coming there when he had the chance because of the view and that it was one of few peaceful places in the Seireitei.

"I knew I'd find you here"

Katsurou turned around and saw someone come towards him.

"Shūhei"

The 9th division lieutenant walked up to Katsurou and sat down next to him.

"I heard from Aoga that your father has woken up"

"He has. I just told our division about it"

Shūhei smiled at him, he was really happy for his best friend. He had visited the 4th while Katsurou still recovered there and he hated to see his friend so worried as he was back then.

"Does Isane know how long he'll need to recover?"

"No"

"Well I'm sure he won't let it take that long"

"You're right. And who knows, he might recover faster now when the illness isn't in the way"

"Exactly"

The two friends then went to get something to eat. They talked and had a good time until Shūhei had to return to the 9th. Katsurou then returned to the 4th and walked to his father's room.

He walked in and found him still asleep which he was happy for, Jūshirō was going to need a lot of rest to recover.

He woke up a few hours later and Hanatarō came in carrying a tray not long after that.

"Lieutenant Kotetsu asked me to bring this. She thought you may be hungry captain"

"That's very kind of her"

Hanatarō bowed respectfully to the two before he left the room. Jūshirō then started to try and sit up but was about to fall back against the bed when he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Let me help you dad"

Katsurou helped him up a little before he placed pillows behind Jūshirō's back for him to lean against. He was then handed a bowl of soup which he started to eat.

Once everything on the tray was empty, Isane came in.

"How are you captain Ukitake?"

"A bit better"

"I guess the food I asked Hanatarō to bring you was just what you needed"

Isane's hand then glowed with reiatsu and she placed it on the captain's chest.

"I would like you to stay in bed for a few more days. Then we can start working on getting your strength back"

Jūshirō nodded at her as she removed her hand and smiled before she left the room.

 **The next day**

Isane had just finished her check-up and left the room when there was a knock on the door and Rukia came in.

"Hello Rukia"

"Hi Katsurou"

Rukia then turned to the captain and gave him a smile as well as a slight bow.

"It's great to see you're okay captain"

"Thank you Rukia"

She walked over to them and sat down on the empty chair.

"How's everything at the division?"

"We're doing our best with the rebuilding and it's going forward. Everyone is hoping to be done by the time you return"

"You will probably have a lot done since it will take a month or two before I'll be able to return"

"A month?"

"You have to remember Rukia that the captain was asleep for three weeks. That plus everything that happened during the war and that his body is getting used to being free from the illness is the reasons behind that long recovery time"

"Katsurou is right. I will try and get my strength back as soon as possible but according to lieutenant Kotetsu, it will take that long"

"I understand"

Rukia stayed with the two of them for a while and told them more about how the division was doing and other things the two had missed.

When she was about to leave, she gave the captain another bow.

"I hope your recovery is swift and that you can return soon"

"Thank you"

Rukia smiled and left to return to her duties.

 _ **A few days later.**_

"Ready captain, Isane asked"

"Yes"

"Remember, you don't have to rush. Take it easy and at your own pace"

Jūshirō nodded before he slowly started to stand up from the bed. Isane and Katsurou both watched as he then started to take a few steps but he didn't get very far until his legs gave up. Luckily, Katsurou caught him before he hit the floor and helped him back to the bed.

"That's was good for your first attempt captain"

"Thank you"

Isane smiled before looking at her colleague.

"Lieutenant Ukitake may I talk to you outside?"

"Sure"

The two lieutenants walked out of the room and down the hall a bit.

"So what did you wanna talk about?"

"I just wanted to ask if you can handle the captain's recovery"

"Me?"

"You are experienced with healing and all you'll have to do is what I just did. Let him walk around the room and help him if his legs gives up.

-Do that with him two times a day"

"Sure I can do that. But how come you want me to do it? You are the best healer and soon-to-be captain of this division after all. So shouldn't you been one helping your patients recover"

"As I said, you are experienced in the healing arts and since you are with him everyday anyway you may do something to help. There are still a few people left here with critical injuries that I need to care for"

"You got a point there.

-Don't worry Isane, I'll take care of it"

"Good. If anything happens just come to me"

"Of course."

Isane smiled and Katsurou nodded.

"Also... We're both lieutenants so you don't have to adress me by my rank. You can use my name like the others do"

"Okay... Katsurou"

 _ **A week later**_

Jūshirō sat down on the bed and panted slightly.

"Keep this up dad and you'll be back on your feet in no time"

"Thank you Suro"

Katsurou smiled at his father and gave him some water that stood on the table next to the bed.

Then the door opened and Isane came in.

"Oh hi Isane"

"Hello Katsurou, captain Ukitake.

-Lieutenant Okikiba just came and asked me to give you this letter"

"For us?"

"Apparently the head-captain had recieved it and he told Okikiba to give it to you"

"Makes sense to send it to him if they don't know were the captains and lieutenants are"

Katsurou took the letter and Isane excused herself as he opened it. He read it through and after a moment, he sighed with relief.

"What does it say Suro?"

"It's from uncle Kenji. He writes that they are all okay and that he and Ayame are actually at the estate"

"That's good to hear. I was worried about them"

Katsurou sat down next to the bed and gave Jūshirō the letter. He could see a smile on his father's face but then, he closed his eyes for a moment before looking at his son.

"Suro please go home tonight"

"What?"

"Kenji and Ayame must be worried about us. Go home, show them that you are okay and tell them what happened to me.

-You also need some real rest, you haven't sleep that well or much during the weeks here as I've heard"

Katsurou looked away before he sighed.

"Fine. I'll go home but I'll be back tomorrow"

"Right"

Jūshirō smiled at him and gave him a hug.

"You don't have to worry my son. I'm okay and I will still be here tomorrow"

"I know"

Katsurou then stood up, walked out of the room and then out of the 4th were he started to make his way home.

Once he reached the estate, he walked inside, took off his sandals and walked deeper into the house.

He then heard the sound of feet running and turned towards a hallway were Ayame came.

Katsurou smiled when he saw his aunt and let her throw her arms around him. As he hugged her back, he could hear sobs from her.

"I'm home"

"It's really you Katsurou. We've been so worried"

"It's okay aunt Ayame. As you can see, I'm fine"

"Yeah so let the kid get some air sis"

Katsurou looked up and saw Kenji come towards them.

Ayame let go and dried her tears while Kenji embraced their nephew.

"Good to see you Suro"

"Same for you uncle Kenji"

Kenji let go of him and looked around.

"Were is Juu?"

Katsurou sighed.

"He's in the 4th and will probably be there for a while"

"What happened, Ayame ased"

"Let's sit down and I'll tell you"

They walked into a room were all three sat down and Katsurou started to tell them about what happened during the second invasion of the Quincy army.

Ayame and Kenji could see that it got harder for him to control his emotions the further into the story he got.

"So Juu used Mimihagi"

"Yes. It was the only way to at least buy the rest of us time to get to the Soul Palace.

-I went another way than the others and Kuroi, my Zanpakutō spirit tried to comfort me. I've never felt so sad in my life"

"That's understandable. Eventhought you and Juu aren't father and son by blood, you both care deeply about each other. So of course you were sad over what happened.

-But I don't understand something. If he used Mimihagi, then how can he be alive at the 4th division?"

"I ended up in a battle with one of the Quincies. I won but was in no condition to keep fighting since I had little energy left and many smaller wounds. My 3rd seats found me and we returned to the 12th divison.

-There, I used an ancient healing Kidō to heal everything connected to Mimihagi before I used a Kidō lightning to make his heart start beating again"

"You really managed something like that?"

"Yes but doing so took the rest of my energy and for a week, I slept. When I woke up, lieutenant Kotetsu told me that dad was still alive and her 3rd seat showed me to him. I was allowed to leave a week later but I stayed because I wanted to be there when dad woke up.

-That was over a week ago. I've been staying at the 4th... because of worry I guess. I know he'll be okay but the thought that he nearly died is still in the back of my head"

Katsurou felt a hand on his shoulder and looked at his uncle who had moved to sit next to him.

"I understand you. We would have probably done the same.

-Right sis?"

"Yep"

Katsurou looked at his aunt who smiled at him.

"So how is he now?"

"Lieutenant Kotetsu started some psychical therapy about a week ago. Once he can walk around without help, he can come home"

Kenji and Ayame nodded, both were very undestanding about the situation.

The three of them then sat down and ate together while talking some more about what had happened the past weeks.

 **The next morning** , Katsurou woke up and looked around the room a bit confused before he remembered that he was at home.

" _That's right. Dad wanted me to go home and tell aunt Ayame and uncle Kenji about what happened during the war"_

To be honest, it did feel good sleeping in his own bed for the first time in weeks.

He got up and changed the yukata he had fallen asleep in to his spare uniform he had laying around. He had told himself that since he was gonna be home during the nights, he might as well get back to work. He believed that his father would like it if he got back into his life and with that, back to work.

He walked out of his room and down the hall to the kitchen.

" _It's amazing how our home could survive the Quincy attack"_

A delicious smell meet his nose as he got closer to the room were he found his aunt and a maid cooking.

"Morning"

"Ah good morning Katsurou. Did you sleep well?"

"Better than I've done for weeks"

"That's great.

-Hey, do you think you can wake Kenji? I've tried calling for him but he won't get up"

"I'll see what I can do"

Katsurou walked to his uncle's room and opened the door. He leaned against the doorframe and looked at his sleeping uncle before smirking.

"Hadō #1 Shō"

He held out a finger and an energy wave came from it that pushed his uncle into the wall on accident.

Katsurou quickly closed the door and Flash Stepped to the kitchen.

"I got him up but maybe I should have thought things through"

"What did you do, Ayame asked"

"I may have used a level 1 Kidō spell"

"Katsurou!"

"Sorry, I should have thought it through before doing it"

Ayame glared a bit at him before she started to giggle.

"What's so funny?"

"It's just that I like it when the playful side of you comes out. Ever since you became a Soul Reaper, you've been all wrapped up in work so it's good to see you have fun and relax"

Katsurou gave his aunt a smile when he realized how right she was.

They then heard the sound of feet running and Kenji came, looking angry.

"Okay who pushed me into the wall?!"

"Sorry uncle Kenji. Aunt Ayame told me to wake you up so I used a level 1 Kidō spell that didn't go as I thought"

"I see"

Once Kenji has calmed down, all three sat down to eat.

"Hey Katsurou are you going back to work since you're wearing your uniform?"

"Yes. I decided yesterday that maybe I should start getting back into my life. Dad will be fine without me by his side everyday"

"I'm glad you've decided that"

"Thanks aunt Ayame.

-Speaking of dad, why don't you two come with me to the 4th before I go to work. I'm sure he'll be happy to see you"

"If it's okay we'd love to come with you. Right Kenji?"

"That's right. Of course we want to see our big brother"

So after they finished eating, Katsurou went to get his Zanpakutō in his room while his aunt and uncle changed to better clothes to be seen outside with.

 **They then made their way to the 4th division**.

"Good morning Isane"

"Oh good morning Katsurou. I see you brough some company today"

"Yes. This is Ayame and Kenji, dad's youngest brother and sister. I thought it was okay for me to bring them since they wanted to see him"

"I see. I'm sure captain Ukitake will be happy to see them too"

"Yeah.

-And Isane, I'm going to return to work starting today so you'll have to assign someone else to take care of dad's psychical therapy"

"I understand. I'm glad to hear that you're coming back"

Katsurou smiled before he led his aunt and uncle through the halls to the right room were he walked in first.

"Morning dad"

"Good morning Suro. How was everything at home?"

"Everything is fine and as you can see, I even decided to go back to work"

"I'm glad. You need something to do rather than sitting here all day"

"Yeah. And speaking of home..."

Katsurou turned his head towards the door.

"You can come in now you two"

The door opened and the two came in.

"Kenji, Ayame"

"Hi there big brother"

Katsurou could see happiness light up his father's eyes as Ayame embraced him.

"It's so good to see you two again. I'm happy that you're okay"

"We're happy you're okay too Juu, said Kenji"

Ayame then released her oldest brother and Kenji gave him a quick hug.

"Katsurou told us what happened during the war and that you used Mimihagi"

"I did. It was the only way to at least try to save the Soul King.

-I never expected that I would survive but here I am and it's all thanks to Suro"

Katsurou gave his father a wide smile before he started to walk to the door.

"I better get going to the division. I think Rukia deserves a break after these weeks.

-I'll be back later"

He left the 4th and made his way to the 13th were he saw everyone working hard and they had come quite far since the last time he was there.

"Looking good everyone"

"Lieutenant Ukitake you're back"

"That's right so don't think you can slack off just because I'm here"

"Yes sir!"

Rukia then came up to him.

"I thought you wouldn't come back until the captain had recovered"

"I had a change of heart yesterday when I went home to our family"

"You did?"

"Yes. For the past weeks I've let worry get the better of me and I didn't realize it until yesterday when I went home to my aunt and uncle.

-My father will be fine without me by his side everyday so I decided to get back into my life and with that, back to my work as this division's lieutenant"

Rukia couldn't help but smile at his words. She was happy that her co-lieutenant was becoming his normal self again.

"So why don't you go and have a well deserved break Rukia. I'll keep an eye on these guys"

"Of course. Thank you Katsurou"

Rukia then took out his lieutenant badge from her uniform.

"I've been holding onto this while you've been in the 4th"

"Thank you"

Rukia smiled and tied the badge around his left arm before she left the division grounds to have a long break.

Katsurou then took a deep breath before he went into his "lieutenant mode"

"Kiyone a status report on what has been happening while I've been gone"

"Of course sir"

"The rest of you keep doing what you're working with right now and help each other out as much as you can. I don't want to see a single person working alone on one spot"

"Yes sir"

 _ **Two months later, Jūshirō was able to walk without his legs giving up and without the help from someone. So Isane allowed him to leave the 4th and return to his division.**_

It was the morning of the day when Jūshirō was going to be released from the 4th division. Katsurou was walking down the hall with a Shihakushō and Haori in his hands.

When he got to the right room, he walked inside and saw Jūshirō sit on the bed. They smiled at each other before Katsurou put the clothes next to him before he walked to the window, looking out on the busy streets of the Seireitei

"Must feel good that you're finally able to leave. Right dad"

"Yes. I've been here for three months so it's good that I'm allowed to go back to the division"

"And now you don't need to worry about getting sick or anything like that"

"You're right"

A while later, they walked out of the 4th divsion.

"Let's see if you can keep up with me dad"

Katsurou Flash Stepped away with Jūshirō right behind him. Once they got closer to the 13th division they stopped, laughed a little and walked the last bit.

Once they reached the gate to their division, Jūshirō decided to stay back while Katsurou talked to the others.

"Everyone listen up"

The members of the division all gathered around Katsurou and Rukia came to stand next to him.

"I have some great news for all of you.

-After three months, our captain is finally able to return to the division"

Katsurou then looked behind him and Jūshirō came, standing between his lieutenants before he smiled at the other members of the division.

"Alright, welcome back captain"

"We've missed you sir"

"Good to see you're okay"

"Thank you everyone. I'm happy to be back here with all of you"

Everyone cheered at their captain's words before they went back to work.

"Welcome back captain Ukitake"

"Thank you Rukia"

"So you're really okay now?"

"Yes. Lieutenant Kotetsu wanted me to take it easy for a few days just to be sure but I promise that I'm fine now"

"That's great"

Rukia smiled at her captain and he smiled back.

Jūshirō then walked up to some of the division members that he started to talk to.

"It's good to have him back, said Rukia"

"It sure is"

Katsurou was really happy to see his father back on his feet, healthier than ever and now back among the many Soul Reapers that looked up to him.

 _ **A few hours later.**_

"Hey Rukia can you finish the day on your own?"

"Of course. Why?"

"Well my aunt, my uncle and I have a little surprise for dad back home"

"I understand"

"Great."

He then looked to were Jūshirō was standing.

"Captain let's go. We have someplace to be"

Jūshirō looked at him and nodded. He said something to the division members around him and walked over to his lieutenants.

"See you tomorrow Rukia"

"We do Katsurou, captain"

The two of them then left the division grounds.

"So were are we going Suro?"

"Home. Kenji, Ayame and I have a little surprise"

"A surprise?"

"You'll see once we get home"

They walked until they reached their home and walked around the house to the garden.

There stood Kenji and Ayame along with the rest of the Ukitake siblings.

Tatsuya the oldest after Jūshirō.

Izumi the oldest sister and third oldest of all eight.

Ryouta the third oldest brother and fourth oldest over all.

Kazuki and Kenta the third youngest of the siblings and only twins among them.

With them were also their kids.

Katsurou looked at his father and smiled at the happiness he saw on his face when he saw all his siblings gathered along with his nieces and nephews.

The four youngest of the kids then ran up to their uncle and cousin who knelt down. They were then embraced by two sets of arms each.

Both laughed out of happiness and embraced the ones hugging them which made the arms tighten around them.

They then let go and walked up to the rest of the family.

Katsurou ruffled the hair of his two oldest cousins. They were 60 years younger than him and were going to attend the academy once the rebuilding was over, something that they were excited for. Everytime they visted they'd often asked him to help them train and get ready.

He then looked over were his father was being hugged by the rest of his siblings, a few of them had tears in their eyes. But he knew it was because of their happiness to see their oldest brother so healthy for the first time in his life.

Katsurou then thought back to when he had gone to Rukongai a few days earlier to see his aunt and uncles that lived there.

 _ **Flashback.**_

 _"It's been a while since I last set foot here in Rukongai. But since I've been occupied with recovering from injuries and then work, it's easy to see why"_

Katsurou was walking around in the first district of east Rukongai on his way to see his uncle Tatsuya who lived there with his wife and kids.

"Hey Suro"

Katsurou turned his head when he heard someone call for him and smiled when he saw his uncle.

"Uncle Tatsuya. It's been a while"

"It has. I'm glad to see you're doing well. We were all worried about you and your father"

"As you can see I'm still in one piece. You need more than Quincies to take me out"

Tatsuya chuckled a little at that.

"So what brings you to Rukongai. I thought you and the other Soul Reapers had a lot of work to do"

"We do but my co-lieutenant is taking care of things today. I actually came here to talk to you and possibly any of the others if I have time"

"If you mean Izumi and the rest of my brothers, they're actually at my home right now"

"That will make things easier for me"

Katsurou came with Tatsuya to his home were his aunt and uncles were.

There, he sat down with them and told them the same story he had told Ayame and Kenji.

 _ **End Flashback.**_

" _None of them hesitated when I asked them to come here to surprise dad today, on the day he was coming home after months at the 4th. But what did I expect after revealing to them that he almost died during the war._

 _-Well, all of that is in the past now. My father is alive and his health is stronger than ever. We've defeated one of the greatest enemies we've been up against and we've brought peace to the Soul Society"_

He then walked over to his father, aunts and uncles were he too recieved hugs. As he was being hugged by his oldest aunt, Katsurou looked towards his father who smiled at him before his mouth formed two words.

"Thank you"

 _ **With that, life was going back to normal for all Soul Reapers except for a slight sorrow for losing so many good people. But they were also filled with great pride that they had won against a really strong enemy.**_

 _Notes:_

 _I'm_ _ **not**_ _100% how the Soul Reapers age since Kubo never really mentioned their ages._

 _The only example I can think of is Byakuya who looked to be around 14-15 years old during Turn back the pendulum (100 years ago) and in the current story, he seems to be around 24 years old._

 _Based on that, I guess 100 for the Soul Reapers are like 10 years for us humans_ _ **(except Yamamoto, Shunsui, Jushiro and Retsu who doesn't look like they've aged in a long time)**_ _so 60 years for them should be 6 years for us._


	22. Ch 21: Meetings

_**I'm BACK**_ _._

 _(Sorry for not updating in a while but I've had a hard time coming up with inspiration for this chapter. Sweden has also been suffering from this giant heatstroke so I haven't had the energy since my room or literaly my whole house has been really hot)_

 _ **Despite the traces of the war that would take months maybe even years to rebuild, the lives of the Soul Reapers returned to normal.**_

 _ **Isane, Love and Lisa became the new captains of the 4th, 7th adn 8th divisions while Ikkaku took over as lieutenant of the 11th division, Kiyone became the lieutenant of the 4th and Akon became lieutenant of the 12th.**_

Katsurou was walking down one of the Seireitei's many streets on his way back to his division. He had delivered a few imporant reports to Byakuya at the 6th division.

He was just walking past the 7th division when he saw a blur of brown up on a hill behind the division's training grounds.

" _What was that? I couldn't have been him could it?_

 _-What am I thinking, Tetsuzaemon said himself that Sajin gave his life to defeat his opponent"_

The curiosity however wouldn't leave him so he walked around to the entrance of the division and found Tetsuzaemon.

"Hey Iba"

"Katsurou, what brings you here?"

"I was on my way back to the 13th after leaving a few reports to captain Kuchiki when I happened to see something on the hill behind your training grounds"

"Oh, I guess you must have imagined it"

"I knew what I saw.

-Iba, you know that Sajin was my friend so if that was him, please tell me the truth"

The 7th division lieutenant looked at him before he signed.

"Come with me"

They walked through the training ground and up on the hill.

Halfway through it, something jumped onto Katsurou so he fell to the ground.

"Shouma, Urui let him go, said Tetsuzaemon"

Whatever had landed on Katsurou got off him and he sat up only to see two wolves, one grey and one white.

" _Wolf cubs. Are they from Sajin's clan?"_

"Now, tell lieutenant Ukitake that you're sorry for jumping onto him like that"

The two cubs looked at Katsurou before bowing.

"We're really sorry"

"It's okay you two, no harm done.

-My name is Katsurou Ukitake"

"I'm Urui, said the grey cub"

"I'm Shouma, said the white one"

"They showed up a while back and has been living here, said Tetsuzaemon"

"Living where, Katsurou asked"

"With Sajin-sama of course, said Urui"

"Brother, maybe he doesn't know who that is, said Shouma"

Katsurou laughed slightly before he knelt down to the cubs' height.

"I actually do know who Sajin is. He was the first friend I got when I was a child and he helped me train once I became a Soul Reaper"

"Your friend?"

"Yes.

-When I was a little boy, my father got very sick and Sajin was asked to look after me. Since that day, he and I have been good friends"

"Then your THAT Katsurou that he told us about, said Urui"

"The first one to accept his appearance, said Shouma"

"That's me, said Katsurou"

Tetsuzaemon looked at the trio before clearing his throat.

"Do you two think you can take him to see Sajin? I have a few things to do back at the barracks"

"Of course Mr Iba, said Urui"

"Thanks boys"

Tetsuzaemon went back towards the barracks while the two werewolves led Katsurou to a place were a big hole had been dug in the ground.

"Sajin-sama come out, said Shouma"

Out from the hole came a big brown wolf and when he spotted Katsurou, his eyes softened, almost as if he was happy.

The 13th division lieutenant knelt down in front of the wolf and held out a hand that the wolf sniffed before placing his face against it.

"It's good to see you again old friend.

-I've missed you a lot, Sajin"

Sajin looked at his old friend and nuzzled his face against the man's chest and gave a slight growl.

"He says that he has missed you too, said Urui"

Sajin gave another growl.

"And he's happy to see you again, said Shouma"

Katsurou looked at the two before he turned back to his friend and petted him.

"So this is were you have been all this time huh"

Sajin looked up and gave a slight whimper.

"He says that after the war when he turnd into this form, he thought it was better if people thought he had given his life to save the Seireitei, said Urui"

"I see. That's so like you Sajin"

The lieutenant then sat down before laying down in the grass.

"So you two, why are you here?"

"We came here because we wanted to become Soul Reapers, said Shouma"

"Really?"

"Yes, our werewolf clan don't know much about the world outside our home, said Urui.

-But we were curious. So Shouma and I would sneak out from time to time and we meet this really nice man who told us stories about the Gotei 13 and he gave us this"

The little grey wolf reached into the rags he wore and pulled out an older copy of the Seireitei Bulletin.

"Oh that is a few years old. I remember when my best friend and his division wrote that"

"That man gave this to us and we kept visiting him and he told us about the Ryoka, the battle in the human world and the recent war were many Soul Reapers lost their lives, said Shouma

-He told us that Sajin-sama was one of them but we couldn't believe that someone like he could be dead"

"That's pretty much what I thought when Iba told us"

"We decided to come here to confirm it and if he was really dead, then we wanted to become Soul Reapers in his place"

"At first we were scared about what to do because our mother would probably be angry at us for thinking that, said Urui

-But one day, our father took us with him when he had some sort of buisness with the man we had meet. Once that was done, he asked him to get us into the Seireitei"

Katsurou turned so he laid on his side and looked at the two cubs who seemed slightly sad at the mention of their father.

"Since you're here, I guess that man kept his promise"

"He did, we were told to sit down in this wodden box and wait until we reached this place called Omaeda Jewels"

"Omaeda Jewels?"

"Yes, they buy gems from our clan"

" _I didn't know Marechiyo's family had a relation to a werewolf clan_

 _-_ Okay. Then what happened?"

"We asked the man who took us there for the way to the 7th since we wanted to meet Tetsu. We traveled at night so we wouldn't be spotted and on the 3rd day here, we found the scent of a fellow wolf"

"We followed it here and we found Sajin-sama alive, said Shouma"

"We told him everything and he said that Tetsu may be able to help us become Soul Reapers"

"Well, if someone can help you then it's Iba, said Katsurou

-I guess he did agree to it since you two are here"

"He did"

"I'm glad to hear that"

The 13th lieutenant then sat up and looked up at the sky.

"How about I'll try to help you as well"

"You will?"

"Yes. Sajin is a good friend and since you two seem to be in his care right now, I'd be more than happy to help you two.

-It's the least I can do for everything Sajin has done for me"

The two cubs got really happy and started to jump around,their tail wagging.

"Thank you, thank you lieutenant Ukitake"

"Just call me Suro, that's what everyone around here calls me"

"Okay"

Sajin who had been laying close to his friend raised his heard and let out some low barks.

"Sajin-sama says thank you as well, said Shouma"

Katsurou looked at the brown wolf and smiled before he placed a hand on his head, stroking the soft fur.

 **A few days later.**

Katsurou was sitting with some paperwork when Rukia came in.

"Something the matter Rukia?"

"We just got a request from the head-captain about patrolling district 5 of east Rukongai"

"Why?"

"Hollows have appeared there and it's scaring the people"

"It's unusual for them to be in those districts, they usualy appear in disctric 40 and up"

Standing up from his desk, Katsurou picked up his sword and put it at his waist.

"I'll take Sentarō and a few others with me to check it out"

"Okay. I'll send a messgae to the head-captain then"

"Thank you"

After gathering up a smaller group of seated officers, Katsurou brought them to the 5th district.

"Okay let's split up and look around"

"Yes sir"

Everyone went different ways and started to look for the Hollows.

As he was Flash Stepping in the district's forest, Katsurou soon heard a loud roar.

" _That's definitely a Hollow"_

He quickly made his way to were the sound was coming from and saw a giant Hollow that looked like a spider in front of a female Soul Reaper.

" _She can't fight back against it"_

He quicky drew his Zanpakutō and leaped towards the Hollow.

"Howl Towards the Shining Moon Kuroi Ōkami"

With his Shikai activated, Katsurou sent a few of his wolves towards the Hollow to keep it down bit biting onto its legs while he sliced the mask.

"That was quite a big Hollow for being around this district. Know I understand why the head-captain wanted us to patrol here"

He placed his sword in the sheat before he turned around.

"Are you okay?"

"Yes"

The female Soul Reaper looked up at him and a faint blush appeared on Katsurou's cheeks.

 _"She's quite beautiful"_

The woman had dark hair in a ponytail that rested over her shoulder and green eyes.

"Thank you so much for helping me. That Hollow came out of nowhere and caught me by surprise"

"No problem"

Katsurou held out his hand and helped her stand up.

"May I ask what brings you out here Miss..."

"Hana. I'm Hana Kurosawa, 5th seat of the 4th division"

"That's a pretty name"

"Oh thank you.

-What's your name sir?"

"I'm Katsurou Ukitake, co-lieutenant of the 13th division"

"You're a lieutenant?"

She then noticed the badge on his arm.

"Oh I'm so sorry for showing such disrespect"

"Hey it's okay. I don't think you were disrespectful against me"

Kajōmaru then appeared.

"Lieutenant sir, we've defeated the Hollows we found"

"Good, I too took care of one.

-Tell the others that you can return to the barracks while I report to the head-captain"

"Yes sir"

Kajōmaru bowed before he disappeared.

Katsurou then turned to Hana.

"Do you want me to escort you back to the 4th?"

"If it's not too much trouble"

"Not at all. I'm going to the 1st anyway"

 **So they walked back into the Seireitei.**

When they reached the 4th division, Hana bowed in gratitude.

"Thank you again lieutenant Ukitake"

"It was my pleasure.

-If you don't mind me asking, why were you in the forest of the 5th district?"

"Oh, I was gathering some erbs we use for different medicines and ointments"

"I see"

"HANA!"

The two turned around and saw Kiyone come towards them.

"Oh lieutenant Kotetsu"

"I'm glad you're okay, we just got the report about the Hollows in the 5th district"

"I actually meet one of them but lieutenant Ukitake here saved me"

"I was in the area patrolling and heard the Hollows roar. I got there and saw Hana along with it so I attacked it before it could hurt her"

"I see, thank you Katsurou, said Kiyone"

"No problem.

- _Even though she's been a lieutenant for a little over a months, it's still weird to hear her say my name rather than my title"_

"Um lieutenant"

"Yes Hana"

"Weren't you supposed to meet the head-captain?"

"Oh that's right. I better get going"

Katsurou started to make his way to the 1st division and he didn't notice the mischievous grin on Kiyone's face.

 _ **So yes, I did create another character just to give Katsurou a girl to fall for. The reasons I didn't choose any of the others are...**_

 _ **Rangiku: I ship her with Gin so I didn't want Katsurou to get together with her.**_

 _ **Nanao: Could have worked since I like her but she has that whole Ise clan curse on her.**_

 _ **Rukia: I plan to have her and Renji as a couple (yes, I did actually like that)**_

 _ **Isane or Kiyone: could have worked but it didn't feel right somehow.**_

 _ **Momo: I'm not the biggest fan of her. (Same with Lisa and Hiyori)**_

 _Shouma and Urui are actually two characters that appears in the WE DO knot ALWAYS LOVE YOU novel_


	23. Ch 22: Ai (Love)

**I'm Back once again!**

 _I've been away with my family to visit my aunt and then we took a trip with my brother and his family so I haven't been able to write in a while but FINALLY here is the next chapter._

 _Note: I'm not the best to write romantic stuff so sorry if this isn't that well written._

 **A few days later.**

Katsurou was sitting in his office, finishing some reports.

When he was done, he put the pen down and looked out the window.

" _I haven't been able to get Hana out of my thoughts since I saved her._

 _-Could it be that I've fallen for her?"_

He got up from his desk and walked to his father's office.

"Hey dad, can I talk to you?"

"Sure. What's the matter Suro?"

"Well. A few days ago when I was on patrol, I saved this girl from a Hollow"

"A girl huh"

"Yes. Her name is Hana and she's the 5th seat in the 4th division.

-I think that... I might have fallen for her"

Jūshirō looked at his son before he chuckled slightly.

"What's so funny?"

"Nothing. It's just that this is the first time I have heard you say that you have fallen for a woman"

"I guess you're right"

Katsurou then walked over to the window in the office.

"But even though I have fallen for her, I'm not sure she feels the same about me"

Jūshirō stood up and placed a hand on his son's shoulder.

"Why don't you go down to the 4th division and ask her.

-If she feels the same for you, then maybe you should ask her out"

"You've been around uncle Shunsui too much, his advice seems to rub off on you.

-But you're right. I should go over there and ask her"

"Go then. It's almost time for your break and I'm sure Rukia can cover things until you get back"

"Right"

Katsurou left the office and Jūshirō looked out the window.

" _So my son is in love. Well, since he don't have me and my health to worry about anymore, he has time to find a girl"_

Katsurou made his way to the 4th division and he walked in.

Luckily for him, Hana was standing at the front desk.

"Hana"

"Oh lieutenant Ukitake. What brings you here?"

"Well... you see..."

Katsurou looked down before he took a deep breath and looked into Hana's eyes.

"Since the day I saved you from that Hollow, I haven't been able to get you out of my thoughts"

"Really?"

"Yes. I think that I fell for you on that day and I came to ask if you feel the same about me"

Hana looked at him before she turned her eyes away.

"I see. Well, if you don't feel the same way then..."

"I do feel the same for you"

"Huh"

"I have been thinking the same way as you but I've been too afraid to ask since I thought you already had someone to call your girlfriend"

"Well, I'm not in a relationship with anyone and haven't been my whole life.

-You're the first woman I've ever felt this way towards"

"Really?"

"Yes

-So do you wanna go somewhere when you have a break? I know a good café a bit from here"

"That sounds nice and I do have my break now so we can go there now if you want"

"Let's go then"

The two left the 4th division and Katsurou led the way to the café he talked about.

"Welcome lieutenant Ukitake, said a waitress"

"Thank you"

"Your regular order I guess"

"Yes"

He then turned to look at Hana.

"What would you like?"

"Oh, some tea will be fine"

"Okay"

The two then sat down at a table until the waitress came with their order.

"So Hana, tell me a bit about yourself"

"Well, I'm from the 3rd district of north Rukongai. Both my parents are farmers but I decided to become a Soul Reaper when we discovered my spiritual abilities.

-I entered the academy and after graduating, I joined the 4th division were I've been ever since"

"I see"

"What about you?"

"Well, I'm actually from the 75th district of west Rukongai"

"You're from Rukongai?"

"Yes, I was found and adopted into the Ukitake family when I was little.

-My father saved me from that place, gave me a family and a better life"

"Oh..."

"When I got older, I joined the academy, graduated at the top of my class and joined the 13th were I soon was promoted to 4th seat"

"When did you become a lieutenant?"

"A little over 40 years ago. Our previous lieutenant, Kaien Shiba died due to a Hollow and I was strong enough to take on the position"

"I heard about that"

"That incident hit our division hard since everyone looked up to Kaien and I thought I wouldn't be able to gain that trust from the others.

-But here I am 40 years later and looked up to by all my men"

"Lieutenant Kotetsu told me that they all come to either you or your captain for advice"

"You could say that but it's mostly my father they go to"

They just sat there and talked a bit more until Hana had to return to her division.

 _ **The two started to see each other whenever they had a break from work and people soon started to figure out that they were dating.**_

They were sitting in the shade of a tree with Hana resting her head on Katsurou's shoulder.

"Hana"

"Yes?"

"You know that we talked about introducing each other to our families now when we've been together for almost two months"

"I do"

"Well, I was wondering if I could introduce you to my father"

"Your father?"

"Yes. The captain I serve under and the head of the Ukitake family, Jūshirō Ukitake

-If you don't want to do it we can..."

"Oh no. I want to meet him. It's just that, this will be the first time I meet a captain besides my own"

"You don't have to worry, my father is the kindest man you'll ever meet"

"Okay"

"Good. Come to the Ukitake estate tomorrow once you're all done with work"

"I'll be there"

Katsurou smiled and kissed her before they got up and returned to their divisions.

 _ **Later: 4th division.**_

Hana was all done with her work for the day and was about to leave.

"Hana!"

She turned around and saw a fellow division member come towards her.

"Are you done for today?"

"Yes"

"Let's go do something then"

"I'm sorry Matsuri but I have plans"

"What kind of plans?"

"I'm going to meet Katsurou's father"

"Already, you guys have only been a couple for a month""

"Actually, it's been two months and we both agree to tell our families that we are a couple.

-So I'll meet his father today and I'll take him to see my parents another day"

"Okay. Have fun then"

With that, Hana left the 4th division and made her way to the home of her boyfriend.

When she got there, she saw Katsurou under a tree in the garden.

He smiled when he saw her and walked up to her.

"Ready to meet my father?"

"Yes"

"Let's go inside then. Dad had a few things to do at the 13th but will be here soon"

They walked inside the house and sat down in one of the rooms.

One of the few servants the house had came a while later.

"Excuse me young master Katsurou but your father has returned home"

"Okay. Could you please tell him that we're in here"

"Of course.

-Anything else?"

"No, dinner is almost ready so we're fine until then"

"If you say so young master"

The servant then left and Jūshirō entered the room a moment later so Katsurou got up.

"You got done faster than I thought dad"

"Rukia told me that she could handle the rest after I told her that I would meet your girlfriend"

"That's kind of her"

Katsurou then turned to Hana and helped her stand up.

"Hana this is my father, Jūshirō Ukitake.

-Dad this is Hana"

"It's an honor to meet you captain Ukitake"

"Please Hana, you don't have to be so formal here in our home so just call me Jūshirō"

"Okay"

Katsurou looked at his girlfriend and saw that she relaxed a bit after his father had said that.

 _ **A few days later.**_

Both Katsurou and Hana had their day off and decided to take that day to visit Hana's parents and brother in the 3rd district of north Rukongai.

"I should warn you Katsurou that my father and brother are very protective"

"It's okay. I have faced worse things remember"

"You're right"

They soon reached the place were Hana's family lived and saw a woman outside the house.

"Mom"

"Hana. Welcome home dear"

The two hugged each other while Katsurou stood a bit away and waited.

"Is dad and Shinya home?"

"They're out at the moment but should be back soon"

Hana's mother then looked behind her daughter.

"And who is this?"

"Mom, this is Katsurou Ukitake. He's my boyfriend"

"It's a pleasure to meet you Mrs Kurosawa"

"Oh, the pleasure is mine.

-Please come in and make yourselves at home until my husband and son comes back"

"Thank you"

They walked into the house were they sat down and Mrs Kurosawa poured them some tea.

"So Katsurou are you a Soul Reaper as well?"

"Yes. I'm the lieutenant of the 13th division were I serve under my father"

"He's also from a lower aristocratic family, said Hana"

"Really?"

"Yes. I'm the son of the Ukitake family head which makes me the family's next head"

"That's quite a responsibility"

"It is but my father is still strong enough to keep the position so who knows when I'll get it"

They then heard the door open and two men entered the room.

"We're back, said the older"

"Welcome home dear.

-Look, Hana has come to visit"

Hana got up and hugged the two.

"It's good to see you again little sis"

"Same for you Shinya"

The two men then looked at Katsurou.

"Who's this guy, said Mr Kurosawa"

Hana looked at her boyfriend who stood up and walked over to them.

"Dad, Shinya this is my boyfriend, Katsurou"

"Boyfriend?!"

Katsurou saw the look in the two mens eyes but he stayed calm and bowed in respect.

"It's a pleasure to meet the two of you"

"So, my little sister has gotten herself a man huh"

"Shinya don't talk like that"

"Sorry mother"

They all then sat down again.

"So how long have you been dating my daughter?"

"A little over two months"

"And how did you meet?"

"I'm a lieutenant in the Gotei 13 and I was assigned to take care of a few Hollows that had appeared in east Rukongai"

"I was gathering some herbs for medicines when one of the Hollows appeared in front of me. I don't know what would have happened if Katsurou hadn't saved me"

"I see"

Katsurou could see how Mr Kurosawa got a softer look in his eyes.

"Tell me boy, do you love my daughter?"

"With all of my heart sir. Hana is the first woman I've ever loved and I promise you that I will never do anything to hurt her"

He looked right into Mr Kurosawa's eyes as he said that and the man saw the honesty in his eyes.

"I trust you. I can see in your eyes that you mean every word you say.

-But if you ever do something to hurt her..."

"Don't worry Mr Kurosawa. I won't"

 _ **Katsurou and Hana kept dating for about a year before a thought appeared in the lieutenant's head.**_

Katsurou was sitting with his father at their home.

"Is something wrong Suro?"

"I've been thinking about something for a while now"

"What's that?"

"I wasnt to ask Hana if she wants to marry me"

Jūshirō looked at his son and a soft smile appeared on his face.

"I think you should"

"Really?"

"Yes. She makes you happy doesn't she?"

"She does"

"Then ask her father for her hand in marriage"

"I will"

With his father's words in mind, Katsurou made his way to the the home of the Kurosawa family.

"Ah Katsurou"

"Hello Mr Kurosawa"

"Is Hana coming?"

"No, she's working today and I actually do as well but my co-lieutenant is covering for me"

"So what brings you here?"

Katsurou looked at the man before he got down on his knees.

"I'm here to ask for your daughter's hand in marriage"

He kept his head bowed and his voice strong as he said those words.

"You want to marry my daughter huh"

"Yes sir. I love Hana very much and like I said when I first meet you, I would never harm her"

Mr Kurosawa looked at him before he sighed.

"Raise your head"

Katsurou did as told and looked up to see the man smile.

"I've seen how much you love Hana and I know that you are a man how keeps his word

-So you have my permission to marry my daughter"

"Thank you so much sir

-You and your family can expect and invitation to Seireitei once we've decided on a day"

"I'm looking forward to it"

 _ **Later that day.**_

Once both had finished their work for the day, Katsurou took Hana with him to the hill that overlooked the Seireitei.

"Why did we come here?"

"Because I want to ask you something"

Katsurou took both Hana's hands in his own and looked into her eyes.

"Ever since the day we meet, I knew that you were the woman I wanted to spend the rest of my life with.

-Hana Kurosawa will you marry me?"

Hana was quite for a moment before tears streamed down her cheeks and she nodded which made Katsurou embrance her before they shared a kiss.

 **A few months later, Hana's family along with Katsurou's aunts and uncles that lived in Rukongai gathered along with the couple's closest friends in the Gotei 13 for their wedding.**


	24. Ch 23: Hikaru

_**Time passed and soon it had been three years since the war ended. One and a half years had also passed since Katsurou and Hana married.**_

Katsurou was sitting in his office, looking over some paperwork when Sentarō came.

"Lieutenant sir"

"Yes Sentarō"

"Your wife is here and wants to see you"

A smile appeared on Katsurou's face

"Please let her in"

"Yes sir"

Sentarō left the room and when the door opened a moment later, Hana walked inside. Katsurou stood up from his desk and kissed her.

"What did Isane say?"

"It is as we suspected"

Katsurou couldn't help but smile and hugged his wife before kissing her again.

"This is great.

-Let's go and tell my father"

"Okay"

The two walked out of Katsurou's office and found Jūshirō outside the barracks.

"Dad"

"Katsurou, Hana. You look very happy today both of you"

"Well we got something we wanted to tell you"

"What is that?"

"Well...

-You're going to be a grandfather"

Katsurou couldn't help but chuckle at his father's reaction.

"Are you saying that?"

"Yes. Hana is pregnant"

Jūshirō looked between his son and daughter-in-law before a smile spread over his face.

"Congratulations both of you"

"Thank you Jūshirō "

Jūshirō smiled at Hana before he looked at Katsurou.

"I'm really happy for you my son"

"Thanks dad. I have to say I'm a little nervous actually"

"Don't worry Suro. You'll be a great father and I'll be here if you need help with anything"

"Thanks dad"

 _ **A few days later.**_

Katsurou and Hana stood by the gate to North Rukongai.

"Ready to tell your family?"

"Yes"

The gate then opened to reveal the gatekeeper, Danzōmaru.

"Welcome lieutenant Ukitake, 5th seat Kurosawa"

"Thanks Danzōmaru"

The two then made their way to the 3rd district and to the Kurosawa home.

"Hana, Katsurou welcome"

"Thank you Mrs Kurosawa"

"Come in. I just made some tea"

"Thank you mom"

They walked inside the house were Mr Kurosawa and Shinya were sitting.

"Hey welcome home sis"

"Thanks Shinya"

The couple sat down and Hana's mother poured up tea for them.

"So what brings you two here, Mr Kurosawa asked"

"Well..."

Katsurou saw that his wife was nervous and placed his hand on her before facing his in-laws.

"Hana and I are going to be parents"

The three looked at him before turning to Hana.

"Is it true sweetie?"

"Yes. We found out a few days ago"

Mrs Kurosawa walked up to her daughter and hugged her.

"Congratulations sweetie"

"Thank you mom"

"How did your family take it Katsurou, Shinya asked"

"My dad was happy for our sake and I know he might spoil our child once he or she arrives"

Mr Kurosawa and Shinya both chuckled at those words.

 _ **The days after that seemed to pass very quickly and Hana was soon four months pregnant.**_

The couple was sitting in the Ukitake estate and just relaxed.

"Katsurou"

"Yes"

"Does your family have any rules or traditions when it comes to naming childred?

-We need to started thinking about names so I thought I'd ask"

"Well, there is one tradition"

"What's that?"

"The first born is named after the generation they're born in.

-My father is the 14th generation so his name has fourteen in it and my middle name has fifteen in it since I'm the 15th generation."

"So a name with 16 in it to follow your tradition"

"Yes, that's the only thing we need to keep in mind. It doesn't have to be our child's first name, it could be the middle name like with me.

-So what do you think of when it comes to names?"

"Well, after everything dark that happened with the war and everything I was thinking of the name Hikaru for a boy"

"I like it"

"Really?"

"Yes. A light after everything dark that happened a few years ago is exactly what our child will be.

-I do actually have an idea for a girl name"

"What is that?"

"Either Haruka or Miyako"

"Were did you get those names from?"

"Well, your name means flower and so I was thinking that if we have a girl, I want her to have a beautiful name like that. That's how I came up with Haruka

-As for Miyako, it was the name of the 3rd seat in our division when I first joined. She was the wife of our lieutenant and I looked up to her as a sister just like I saw her husband as a brother"

"I see. They are beautiful names"

"I want our child to have a beautiful name like you if it happens to be a girl"

"Just like I want a strong name like yours if we have a son"

"Victory son is not that strong"

"Well for me it is"

They kept talking names for a while and soon they had a list of four boy names and four girl names.

Hikaru=Light

Haruka=spring flower

Daisuke=Great Help

Miyako=beautiful night child

Isamu=Brave

Yuki=happiness

Ken'ichi=strong one

Hoshiko=star child

 _ **Five months later: December 15.**_

It was a cold day in the Seireitei and most people stayed inside to avoid getting sick from the weather.

Katsurou was watching over the training of the new recruits inside the division's training hall when a Hell Butterfly came.

"Sentarō please take over for me"

"Of course sir"

Katsurou quickly left the training hall and Flash Stepped to the 4th division were he meet Isane

"Captain Kotetsu, I got a message about Hana. Is she okay?"

"Don't worry. She's just fine and so is your child

-Come and I'll show to them"

Katsurou followed Isane to a room were he walked in and saw his wife sit in the bed, holding something in her arms.

"Come and see him, dear"

"It's a boy?"

"Yes"

Katsurou walked over to the bed and looked down at the baby in her arms. The boy had the same raven black hair as him and dark lashes rested on adorable puffy cheeks.

"He looks just like you"

"He may have my hair but that face is all yours"

He kissed Hana's forehead before he sat down on the bedside and she placed their son in his arms.

A while later there was a knock on the door and Jūshirō came in.

"Dad you're here"

"Sentarō told me that a Hell Butterfly came and that you left him to continue the training with the recruits very sudden. Then I got a message from captain Kotetsu that said that you two were here.

-So I figured that someone had arrived"

Katsurou smiled and waved at his father to come closer. The white-haired man walked up to him and a wide smile appeared on his face when he saw the baby boy.

"Dad meet your grandson"

Jūshirō looked at Katsurou and then, he lifted his hand to stroke the baby's cheek.

"Congratulations"

"Thanks dad.

-Do you want to hold him?"

"If it's okay"

"Of course"

The 13th division lieutenant placed the little boy in his father's arms just as his eyes opened to revealed the same brown eyes as Katsurou that looked up at Jūshirō with a bit of curiosity.

There was no screaming and no crying, just soft breathing noises. He was peaceful as he lay in his grandfather's arms.

Katsurou sat down again and wrapped his arm around Hana's shoulders. Both enjoyed the scene as Jūshirō cooed at their son.

"So have you decided on what name to give him, he asked after a while"

"Our top favorite boy name was Hikaru, said Hana

-Do you think that should be his name, dear?"

"Yes, he is after all a small glimpse of light after everything dark that happened back during the war, said Katsurou"

Jūshirō looked at them and nodded before he looked at his grandson.

"Hi little Hikaru. I'm your grandfather"

Hikaru made a small noise as his little hand grabbed Jūshirō's finger which made him smile even more.

 _ **Three weeks later.**_

"There's no need to be nervous Hana. It's just some of our friends that's coming over to meet Hikaru"

"I know but they're captains and lieutenants"

"Yeah, but they are our friends and they're like an extra family to me"

"I know, dear"

Katsurou walked over to his wife and kissed her.

"It's gonna be fine. Captain Kurotsuchi isn't coming so we don't need to worry about him"

"He's right"

Both turned towards the door ad saw Jūshirō with Hikaru in his arms. Just like Katsurou had suspected, his father loved Hikaru a lot and his son would probably be spoiled by him as he gets older.

"Besides I did tell those who are coming to behave while they are in our home"

"Hopefully they will listen to you dad"

"I'm sure they will"

 _ **A little while later, Shunsui, Nanao, Shūhei, Renji and Rukia had gathered at the Ukitake estate**_.

"Thanks for coming all of you. The reason we asked you to come is because Hana and I have someone we want you to meet"

Everyone looked at Katsurou and then at Hana who walked in with Hikaru.

"Everyone, this is our son, Hikaru Ukitake"

Hana then walked over to Rukia and carefully placed Hikaru in her arms. Katsurou smiled at how his co-lieutenant adored his son.

Once his son was in the arms of his best friend, Katsurou looked at his father and wife who both nodded.

"Shūhei there's something I want to ask you"

"What is it?"

"It's about Hikaru. When I was in the world of the living on a mission a few months ago, I overheard a couple talking about something called godparents so I asked Ichigo about it"

 _ **Flashback: Four months earlier.**_

Katsurou was walking around Karakura town's shopping district.

" _Now when those Hollows are taken care of, I can go back to the Seireitei tomorrow"_

He had been in the town for almost two weeks since Ichigo and his friends needed some help to take care of stronger Hollows that had appeared.

As he passed by a store, he heard a couple outside it talk to each other.

"So who do you want as godparent, the woman asked"

 _"Godparent? What is that?"_

Katsurou walked away and made his way to the Kurosaki clinic were he was staying.

"Hey Katsurou, you're back, said Ichigo"

"Yeah, just looked around town a bit"

"I see"

The lieutenant sat down on one of the couches before he turned to his friend.

"Hey Ichigo, what's a godparent?"

"How come you ask that?"

"When I was walking around town, I heard a pregnant woman mention the word to her husband"

"Well, a godparent is someone you want to care for your child if something were to happen to you

-In your case, it would be if you, your wife AND captain Ukitake passed away for some reason"

"Why include my father?"

"Because if the parents die, it usually goes to the grandparents first before godparents"

"I see"

 _ **End Flashback.**_

"When I got back from that mission, I talked with Hana about it and we thought it was a good idea.

-So I wanted to ask if you wanted to be Hikaru's godfather"

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, Besides, it's only if something happens to Hana, dad AND myself that he will be in your care

-So what do you say old friend?"

Shūhei looked at Katsurou and then at the boy he held.

After a moment, his grey eyes meet the brown eyes of his best friend.

"It would be an honor"

"I'm glad to hear that"

The little boy was then passed around again so the others got a chance to hold him before he was placed in his grandfather's arms were he fell asleep.

While the others talked to each other, Shunsui walked over to Jūshirō and sat down next to him.

"I guess I should say congrats to you as well, old friend"

"Thank you Shunsui.

-You know, if someone had told me centuries ago that I would be a grandfather one day, I wouldn't have believed it"

"Well, centuries ago you still had that illness that you said you were going to die off one day"

"You're right. I'm very grateful of what Suro did back there at the end of the war, if it weren't for that...then I wouldn't be here right now"

"He's an amazing person"

"He sure is. I'm happy to have him as my son. I'm also happy to have Hikaru as my grandson"

Jūshirō then looked down at the sleeping baby in his arms and Shunsui smiled.

" _I'm happy for you Juu-chan. For a very long time you've wanted a famiy of your own but you were always scared because of your illness._

 _-But look at you now. You're free from that illness thanks to the boy you adopted as your son and now you're a grandfather. You finally have what you've wanted for so long"_

 _ **Just a few days later, Hikaru was introduced to the other captains and lieutenants. Everyone was happy to met the first child born in the Seireitei in centuries and they were looking forward to see him grow and help him become a fellow Soul Reaper.**_


	25. Ch 24: Meetings and reunions

_**A year after Hikaru's birth, another child was welcomed into the world. This child was Renji and Rukia's daughter.**_

It was May and the four Ukitake family members were on their way to the Kuchiki manor.

"It was nice of them to invite us to meet their daughter, said Hana"

"I guess it's because we invited them to meet Hikaru, said Katsurou"

"I heard lieutenant Kira and Hinamori also will be there, said Jūshirō"

"No surprise, they were Renji's classmates after all and the three of them are pretty much best friends"

Hana smiled and looked at their son who was being carried by his father.

"Look like you will be getting a playmate Hikaru"

The boy looked at her and made some sort of noise before smiling.

"I think he's excited"

"Even though they can't play until Renji and Rukia's daughter is older, it doesn't hurt introducing them to each other, said Jūshirō"

They then reached the manor and a servant showed them to a room were Izuru and Mom were.

"Hi guys, said Katsurou"

"Hi everyone, said Momo"

"I guess you guy were invited too, said Izuru"

"Yes, Byakuya came by with an invitation from Rukia, said Jūshirō"

Katsurou then put Hikaru on the ground and he walked up to Momo and Izuru.

"You've gotten so big Hikaru, said Momo"

"Hard to believe he's over a year old, said Izuru as he knelt to the boy's height"

"You're right, the past year has gone by so fast, said Katsurou"

"And now, there's one more child in the Seireitei, said Hana"

The doors to the room then opened and in came Byakuya.

"Good, you're all here"

He then opened the doors more so Renji and Rukia could enter.

"Thanks for coming guys, said Renji"

"Thanks for inviting us, said Izuru"

Momo then saw the baby sleeping in Rukia's arms.

"Is that?"

"Yes, this is our daughter, Ichika Abarai"

She walked over to them and placed their daughter in Momo's arms.

"She so cute"

As the others gathered around her to look at the baby, Katsurou walked up to his childhood friend.

"How does it feel being an uncle, Byakuya?"

"I'm proud of Rukia and I will do my best to help Ichika grow up with both the Kuchiki and Abarai name"

"I knew you'd say something like that"

Katsurou then walked over to the others again and sat down next to Izuru who now was holding Ichika before lifting up Hikaru.

"See here Hikaru"

He pointed at the sleeping baby girl and his son looked at her with curiosity.

"This is Ichika, your aunt Rukia and uncle Renji's daughter"

"I hope you'll be her friend when you two get older, said Rukia"

Even though the boy couldn't understand fully what they meant, he gently placed his hand on Ichika's cheek.

"That's right, gently, said Hana"

The little girl then opened her eyes to reveal the same violet eyes as Rukia who looked up at all the new faces. She then reached up and grabbed one of Hikaru's fingers but the boy didn't move away, he just looked at her.

"I think they're already starting to form a friendship, said Renji"

"Let's hope so, said Katsurou"

 _ **As both Hikaru and Ichika grew older, they did become really good friends much to the happiness of their families.**_

 _ **The two were now five (Hikaru) and four (Ichika) years old and Hana was expecting another child.**_

It was the beginning of April and all over the Seireitei, Sakura flowers had bloomed.

Katsurou and Hana were sitting in the 4th division, looking at their newborn daughter.

"I guess Haruka is a fitting name for her, said Hana"

"You're right.

-Haruka, our little spring flower"

Then, there was a knock on the door and Isane came in.

"I'm sorry to disturb you but lieutenant Hisagi is here with Hikaru and captain Ukitake will be here shortly"

"Thank you captain Kotetsu"

"You can let them in"

Isane nodded left the room.

When the door opened the next time, Shūhei came in carrying Hikaru.

"Mom, dad"

"Hi there buddy"

Shūhei put the boy down and he ran over to his parents were Katsurou picked him up and put him in lap.

"Has he behaved Shūhei?"

"Don't worry Suro, he's behaved very well.

-He and Mashiro even played a bit while I was helping the captain with some articles for the Seireitei Bulletin"

"That was kind of lieutenant Kuna, said Hana"

"You know how she is. She may be older than us but she sure likes to act like a kid"

Katsurou chuckled at that before he looked at his son who's eyes were on Haruka.

"Hikaru this is your little sister, Haruka"

"Sister?"

"Yes. You're a big brother now"

Hikaru looked at his father and then his sleeping sister before he reached his hand out towards her.

As he touched her hand, his sister opened her eyes and looked up at him.

"This reminds me of when he first meet Ichika, Hana whispered"

"You're right"

"Ichika, Hikaru said a bit curious"

"Yes. You did the same thing when you meet her for the first time four years ago"

Hikaru looked at his father but turned his head to the door when it opened and Jūshirō came in.

"Grandpa"

He got down from his father's lap and ran over to his grandfather who picked him up.

"Hello Hikaru.

-Have you behaved while you've been with your uncle?"

"Yes. We played and when he was busy, I played with Mashiro"

Hikaru the pointed towards his parents and Shūhei.

"I think he wants you to come over here and see her, said Shūhei"

Jūshirō put Hikaru on the ground before walking over to the other three to look at his granddaughter.

 _ **More time past and soon, it had been ten whole years since the war with the Quincies.**_

Katsurou and his kids were walking along one of the streets in the Seireitei.

"Hey dad, were are we going, Hikaru asked"

"To meet up with your grandfather and then, we're going to the Kuchiki manor"

"Why are we going there again?"

"Because today marks ten years since our victory in the war against the Quincies"

"Wow. Too bad mom can't come"

"Well, she and the other officers at the 4th needs to take care of things since both their captain, lieutenant and 3rd seat are coming to the manor"

"I see"

They kept walking for a while until Hikaru looked around.

"What around here would make grandfather go here?"

"You'll see soon"

Hikaru looked up at his father and couldn't help but notice a sadness in his eyes.

After walking for a bit more, Katsurou stopped walking and Hikaru looked ahead of them to see two people in front of a stone.

"Is that grandfather and the head-captain?"

"Yes. They go here when they get the chance"

"Why?"

"See that stone they're sitting by?"

"Yes"

"It's the grave of our former head-captain, Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto.

-Ten years ago, he fought with the leader of the Quincies but he lost the battle and his life"

"I remember now that grandfather told me about him"

"Then you know what he meant to those two"

"Yes. He was their mentor..."

"And a father-figure to them. Yamamoto saw your grandfather and Shunsui as his sons and they saw him as a father.

-His death may have affected us all but it was those two who took it harder than anyone"

The three of them stood there until they saw the two get up and as they got closer, Katsurou put Haruka on the ground and she ran up to her grandfather.

" _Good thing I brought the kids with me to meet them. Dad always looks so sad when he comes home after visiting Yamamoto's grave"_

"Shall we get going, Shunsui asked"

"Yes, I guess the others are already at the Kuchiki manor, said Katsurou"

 _ **So they made their way to the Kuchiki manor were most of the captains and lieutenants already had gathered.**_

"Why don't you go and play with Ichika until the final guests arrive, said Katsurou"

"Okay"

Hikaru ran over to were he saw his friend stand and the two started to play tag.

"It's a good thing those two have each other to play with while we adults talk, said Renji"

"You're right about that, said Rukia"

"Yes, it would have been very boring for either of them otherwise, said Jūshirō"

They looked towards the two kids before they started to talk with some of the others until they felt familiar spiritual pressures get closer.

Soon, Ichigo, Orihime, Chad, Uryu, Hiyori, Kisuke and Yoruichi all entered the garden were they all had gathered.

Ichigo had shorter hair and was dressed in his Soul Reaper outfit with Zangetsu on his back as usual. On his shoulders sat a young boy with the same bright orange hair as him.

Chad had slightly longer hair but it was not covering his eyes anymore.

Uryu and Orihime hadn't changed that much except for both looking more mature and Orihime had longer hair. Same for Hiyori, Kisuke and Yoruichi.

"Hi everyone, it's been a long time, said Ichigo"

"Good to see you all again, said Orihime"

"You all seem to be doing well, said Uryu"

"Thanks to what all of you helped us with ten years ago and the fact that the Seireitei has been rebuilt, you can say that, said Tōshirō"

"Wait a minute, Tōshirō is that you?"

"It's captain Hitsugaya to you!"

It wasn't a surprise that Ichigo was shocked at how the 10th divison captain looked. Over the years he had grown a lot and looked more like a teenager than a child.

Ichigo then looked around to see if anyone else had changed over the years.

Yumichika didn't have the feathers on his eyelashes anymore and wore some sort of cape.

Isane had shorter hair and wore the Haori of the 4th.

Tetsuzaemon had another hairstyle and a cresent scar close to his right eye.

Byakuya was wearing three kenseikan on top of his head again.

Kenpachi's hair was much longer

Mayuri had once again changed his facepaint and headpiece.

He and his friends then saw the two kids playing a bit away.

"I'm guessing that's your kids"

"That's right, said Renji"

"Ichika come over here, Rukia called"

"You too Hikaru, said Katsurou"

The two kids ran up to their parents .

"Kids this is our friends from the world of the living, said Rukia"

"Ichigo, everyone, this is our daughter Ichika, said Renji"

"And this is my son, Hikaru, said Katsurou

-Over there is also my daughter, Haruka"

He pointed to the little girl Jūshirō was holding.

"It's nice to meet the two of you, Ichigo told the two kids.

-I'm Ichigo Kurosaki"

"My name is Orihime Inoue"

"Yasutora Sado but everyone calls me Chad"

"I'm Uryu Ishida"

"Nice to meet you, said both kids and bowed slightly"

"Well behaved aren't they, said Ichigo"

"Of course they are, Ichika is after all part of the Kuchiki family, said Byakuya"

"Okay.

-By the way, this is Kazui"

He placed the boy he had carried on his shoulders on the ground.

"He's my and Orihime's son"

"It's nice to meet all of you. My parents have told me much about all of you"

"Nice to meet you as well kid, said Ikkaku"

 _ **The three kids then started to play while their parents and the other adults talked about the events from ten years ago. Celebrating their victory and also honoring those who lost their lives in the war.**_

(The next chapter will probably be the last and will be about something I've been waiting to do)


	26. Ch 25: A new captain

(And so, we've reached the final chapter of this story)

 _ **More years passed and soon, it had been 30 whole years since the war between the Soul Society and the Quincies.**_

Jūshirō and Shunsui stood on the balcony outside Shunsui's office. There was supposed to be a meeting soon but Jūshirō wanted to talk to his friend before the other captains arrived.

"I've been thinking"

"About what Jūshirō?"

"About retiring from my position as captain"

"Are you sure about that old friend?"

"Yes. I've been a captain for almost 300 years. It's time to let someone younger take over"

Shunsui looked at his friend before placing a hand on his shoulder.

"If that's what you want Jūshirō, then I'll support that decision"

"Thank you Shunsui"

The dark-haired man let a smile cross his face.

"So are you gonna tell the others at the meeting?"

"That was my plan if I get the chance to say it"

"Don't worry. I'll give you a chance before the meeting ends"

Jūshirō smiled before he left his best friend's office and walked to wait outside the meeting room.

Soon the other captains came and once all twelve were present, they were allowed inside the room so the meeting could begin.

"Before I let all of you return to your division I believe that captain Ukitake has something to say"

Everyone turned their attention to the 13th division captain.

"I have decided to retire from my position as captain"

"Are you sure, Tōshirō asked"

Yes. I've soon been a captain for almost 300 years. It's time to step down and let someone younger take on the position"

The others all stood quiet after hearing the news until they all nodded, understanding his decision.

 **A while after the meeting was over, Tōshirō entered the head-captain's office.**

"What can I help you with captain Hitsugaya?"

"Since no one of the others seems to be thinking about the obvious then I will.

-I'm here to recommend Katsurou Ukitake to take on the position as captain of the 13th division"

The young captain could see a smile on Shunsui's face.

"I was wondering if someone would recommend him for it"

"He's the most capable person I can think off. Up until the war, he had been the acting captain many times during all his years as lieutenant.

-He knows how to run that divsion better than any other Soul Reaper"

"You're right"

"But I do believe he needs to take the captains' exam"

"How come?"

"According to what I've heard from Shūhei, Katsurou reached his true Bankai during the war 30 years ago"

"I see, then the exam might be good.

-Would you mind overseeing it with me captain Hitsugaya?"

"Of course. Who else?"

"I was thinking Rose"

"Right. I'll inform him and Katsurou on my way back to my division"

They two talked for a short moment before Tōshirō left the 1st division and made his way to the 3rd.

"What brings you here captain Hitsugaya?"

"I need to speak with captain Ōtoribashi.

-Is he busy right now Izuru?"

"Not that much. I believe he has time to see you"

"Thank you"

He walked into the captain's office were Rose sat.

"Ah captain Hitsugaya, what can I help you with?"

"I just came to inform you that the head-captain wants you and I to oversee a captains' exam along with him"

"Sure. When is it?"

"In a week"

"I'll be there"

"Good"

Tōshirō then went to the 13th division. Right when he was about to enter, a Hell Butterfly came.

"Damn that Rangiku!"

It was then Rukia came.

"Captain Hitsugaya, are you here to see captain Ukitake?"

"No I just came here to leave a message from the head-captain to Katsurou.

-Would you mind giving it to him? I need to get back to my division before Rangiku messes things up more"

"Of course"

Tōshirō gave her a letter from Shunsui before he disappeared in a quick Flash Step.

Rukia then walked to the office were her co-lieutenant sat.

"Katsurou, captain Hitsugaya wanted me to leave this to you"

"Thank you Rukia"

He took the letter and opened it.

 _ **"Lieutenant Katsurou Jūgorō Ukitake of the 13th division.**_

 _ **On the recommendation from captain Tōshirō Hitsugaya of the 10th division, it's been decided that you will take the captains' exam for a chance to be promoted. In one week, myself and two other captains will await you in the 1st division for the exam.**_

 _ **Head-captain Shunsui Kyōraku"**_

 _"A promotion for me? Oh that's right, dad talked about retiring._

 _-_ Was there something more you want Rukia?"

"No"

"Then you can go back to your work"

"Right"

Once Rukia had closed the door behind her, Katsurou stood up and walked over to a stand were Kuroi's sword rested.

"Seems like we have some training to do partner"

 _ **For the next week, Katsurou kept it a secret that he was going to take the captains' exam since he wanted it to be a surprise in case he happened to pass and be promoted.**_

Katsurou took a deep breath before he entered the 1st division. Today was the day of his captains' exam.

He walked down the hall to the right room were Shunsui, Rose and Tōshirō waited.

"Welcome lieutenant Ukitake"

"Thank you head-captain"

"Are you ready?"

"Yes sir"

"Then let's begin the captains' exam"

And so the test began. Katsurou showed the abilities of his true Bankai and all three captains seemed impressed. Shunsui looked at the other two captains who nodded.

"Lieutenant Ukitake it's a great honor to say that you've past the exam"

"Thank you so much sir"

Shunsui smiled and so did Rose and Tōshirō. All three knew that there was no one who deserved this promotion more than Katsurou.

"We'll see you at the captains' meeting two days from now. Your promotion will be official during that meeting"

"Right"

Rose and Tōshirō then got up to leave but Shunsui wanted Katsurou to stay just a moment.

Once the door had closed behind the other two captains, he wrapped his arms around the lieutenant in a bear hug.

"Congratulations Suro"

"Thank you... uncle Shunsui"

"You really deserve this. There's no one better to take over when your father retires"

"I guess captain Hitsugaya thought so too since he recomended me"

"I'm sure every captain was thinking the same but Hitsugaya was the only one who dared to say anything"

"Maybe so"

"Now go home so you can tell your family that you've passed the exam"

"I will"

Katsurou bowed respectfully before he exited the room and walked out of the 1st division.

It was starting to get slightly dark already so he made his way home to the Ukitake estate were he found his father in the garden.

He was laying in the grass with both his grandkids ontop of him.

"Kids be nice to your grandfather"

Hikaru and Haruka both looked up and smiled when they saw their father.

"Dad you're home, said Hikaru"

"Yes, I had some things to take care off but now I'm done for the day"

"That's good, said a voice"

All four turned their heads and saw Hana in the door.

"Dinner is ready"

"Right"

They all walked inside and sat down to eat.

"So were have you been since you left work earlier, Jūshirō asked"

"Well. To be honest I've been keeping a secret from you"

"What secret, Hikaru asked"

"Tell us dad, said Haruka"

"A week ago, I recived a letter from the head-captain, telling me that I would take the captains' exam to see if I could get promoted to captain rank.

-I just came from the exam at the first division"

"Did you pass, Jūshirō asked"

"I did. At the meeting in two days it will be official since that's when the other captains will know and I will recive my Haori"

His family looked at him before Hana got up and embraced him.

"Congratulations dear"

"Thank you Hana"

"Wait, dad if you're going to become a captain... which division is it, Hikaru asked"

"Your father is going to take over the 13th division since I'm going to retire, said Jūshirō"

"You're not gonna stay as a captain anymore, grandfather?"

"No. It has soon been 300 years since I was given the rank so I decided that it was time for someone younger to take over"

"Hmmm and here I thought that I would become a Soul Reaper while you still were a captain"

"Don't you think that I will make a good captain like your grandfather, Hikaru?"

"Of course I think you'll be good captain, dad"

"Then work hard when you enter the academy in a few years and show me that you have what it takes to be a Soul Reaper under me"

"Oh trust me I will. I will become an even greater Soul Reaper than you and grandfather"

"That's the spirit"

 _ **Two days later.**_

All captains and lieutenants had gathered at the 1st division for the cermony for the new captain. No one except Jūshirō, Rose, Tōshirō and Shunsui knew who it was.

Jūshirō stood next to Shunsui in the front of everyone else. The Haori of the 13th division was folded in his hands, ready to be handed over to the new captain.

"Alright shall we begin the promotion ceremony for the new captain of the Gotei 13, said Nanao"

"Yes, will the new captain please enter, said Shunsui"

The doors opened and in came Katsurou.

The captains and lieutenants who didn't know about his promotion just stared for a moment while the two captains that had overseen his exam smiled.

When he reached the front, he bowed to the head-captain.

"As you all remember, almost two weeks ago, captain Ukitake revealed that he will retire from his position as captain, so the search began for someone to take over. Right after the meeting, I recived a recomendation from captain Hitsugaya about making lieutenant Katsurou Ukitake the new captain.

-Because he had gained some new powers during the war, captains Hitsugaya, Ōtoribashi and myself conducted an examination to evaluate his qualification to become a captain and we found no short comings. So I hereby announce that the former lieutenant of the 13th division, Katsurou Ukitake is promoted to the rank of captain of the 13th division"

Katsurou stood up from his bow as his father walked up to him.

"This is yours now. Wear it with with the same pride and honor as I did"

"I will"

Katsurou took the Haori from Jūshirō and put it on. The other captains and lieutenants applauded as he turned to face them.

Everyone then walked up to the new captain, giving him pats on the back and congratulations.

"Congratz Suro, said Shūhei

-You really deserve this old friend"

"Thank you Shūhei"

"No one deserved this promotion more than you, said Tōshirō

-That's why I recommended you"

"Thank you capt... Tōshirō"

The younger captain just let a smile cross his face, Katsurou and he were friends after all and now when the older was a captain, he could call him by his first name.

"To think the kid we knew from over 100 years ago would reach the rank of captain, said Shinji"

"You've done well, said Kensei"

"Thank you Shinji, Kensei"

From were they stood a bit away from the group, the two friends watched the others.

"I'm so proud of him, said Jūshirō"

"You should be, Juu. After all, the two of us has seen Suro grow up and we know how strong he really is"

"You're right. To think that that shy little boy we found in Rukongai over 150 years ago would grow up and become one of the strongest lieutenants and now, a captain"

"I guess no one of us expected that"

 _ **A while later, the captains were all allowed to return to their divisions.**_

"The others will get a surprise when they see that I'm the new captain, said Katsurou"

"They sure will, said Rukia"

They reached the 13th were Rukia walked around to the back of the barracks were everyone had gathered while Katsurou stayed around the corner.

"Alright everyone, settle down"

All members of the division stopped talking and looked at her.

"As you all know, today is the day when captain Ukitake retired from being our captain. But on the meeting I just came from, a new captain was choosen for the 13th

-So allow me to introduce you all to our new captain"

She looked to the side and Katsurou came from around the corner.

When he stood in front of everyone, he smiled at them.

"Hello everyone"

"Lieutenant Ukitake, you're the new captain?"

"That's right Kajōmaru.

-After my father announced his retirement two weeks ago, I recieved a letter from the head-captain. It said that captain Hitsugaya had recommended me to be promoted and two days ago, I took the exam"

He could see the happiness on everyone's faces and Katsurou could guess it was because they got someone they knew as their new captain instead of a stranger who didn't know the division.

"I'm sure a few of you are wondering if I'm going to change things around here and I can assure you that while I may not be my father, I will run this division the same way he did"

Everyone was quite before they started to cheer for their new captain.

 _ **Due to his experience of being acting-captain all those times his father was sick, Katsurou quickly adapted to his new position.**_

It had now been two years since his promotion and he was looking through some reports when Rukia came.

"Sir, I just got a message that all captains are to gather for a meeting"

"I see.

-Please take care of things until I return, Rukia"

"Of course"

The young captain smiled at her before he made his way to the 1st division were he found Tōshirō, Love, Kensei, Shinji, Rose, Isane and Lisa.

"Do you guys know what this meeting is about, Katsurou asked"

"No, the message didn't say anything, said Tōshirō"

"Well, all lieutenants and captains are still alive so it can't be anything about that, said Kensei"

"Well just have to wait until everyone gets here and see what the head-captain has to say, said Lisa"

"I agree with Lisa, said Shinji"

So the group just stood there and talked until the others arrived and they were let inside the meeting room.

"So why did you call on us, Kenpachi asked"

"A certain individual came to me earlier today and he wanted me to gather all captains together, said Shunsui"

"And who is that, SoiFon asked"

"It was me..."

Everyone turned to the doors and saw a familiar man stand there, Isshin Shiba or Kurosaki as his name was now.

"Isshin what brings you here, Katsurou asked"

"I've actually been thinking about coming back for a while. After all, Ichigo is 47 while Karin and Yuzu are 43 and my grandkids are all in their 20s.

-So I decided to say goodbye and return here"

"But why, your captain's position is taken, said Lisa"

"I know that.

-My spot as a captain may be taken but I'm still a part of the Shiba clan so I came here to ask you captains if you know their whereabouts"

"So your plan is to try and make them rise back to the Great Noble Clans, Byakuya asked"

"Yes"

"That may be hard Isshin since there are only two members left of the Shiba clan, said Tōshirō"

"Techincally there are more than two, said Mayuri"

"He's right, said Katsurou

-Ichigo and his sisters are of Shiba blood too"

"That makes five members of the Shiba family, said Isane"

"Even more if you include Kazui and my other grandkids, said Isshin"

"But most of them are humans born in the world of the living and they may not come here for a while, said SoiFon"

"But when they do, the Shiba Clan will grow bigger and hopefully, they can climb back to their status as one of the great noble clans, said Rose"

The other captains nodded in agreement before turning to Shunsui.

"What do you say head-captain, Kensei asked"

"I don't see anything wrong with Isshin returning to the Shiba clan

-Captain Ukitake, you know the whereabouts of the Shiba clan don't you?"

"Yes sir. I visit them every now and then to see how they're doing"

"Then could you maybe guide Isshin to them?"

"Of course sir"

"Good.

-With that, you're all dismissed"

The captains all left the room and Katsurou walked up to Isshin who waited for him before they started to walk.

"Congratz on becoming a captain, Katsurou"

"Thank you"

"I remember thinking how much you deserve it back when I was still a captain"

"You did?"

"Yes. You were the only lieutenant at the time to know Bankai and you had been acting captain a bunch of times. The only thing holding you back was your loyalty to your father and the 13th.

-By the way, how is Jūshirō these days? That illness still giving him trouble?"

"Not anymore. He's as healthy as he can be and seems to enjoy being retired since he gets to spend time with Hikaru and Haruka"

"That's right, Ichigo told me you had kids.

-How big are they?"

"Hikaru is over 30 years old in human years but he's still just a young boy and Haruka is five years younger than him"

"Have they joined the academy yet?"

"No. They're still a bit too young but Hikaru has started to show signs of his spiritual powers so it may not be that many more years until he's going to attend the academy"

"What about your daughter?"

"Not as much as her brother. I have afeeling Hikaru will get more battle abilities like me while Haruka will become a healer like her mother"

"I see"

"What about Kazui? I heard he's doing a good job with the Hollows in Karakura"

"Ichigo has taught him well and that boy is clearly as strong as his father"

"He's a good Soul Reaper then"

"He sure is"

The two then reached the gate to Rukongai and Jidanbō let them into the district were Katsurou led Isshin to the outskirts.

"Over there is their home"

Isshin looked at the house and mostly the banner between the two hands.

"Looks like my niece really changed some things"

"Well, she is the clan head since Kaien passed away"

The captain then turned to leave.

"I have to get back to work. Can't let Rukia take care of things for too long"

"Okay, thanks for taking me here"

"No problem" 

_**After Isshin's return to the Soul Society not that much happened for a long time. Life went on as it usual until one day about 50 years later.**_

The day had started out as any other until a loud explosion was heard from the department of research and development which had the captains gather for an emergency meeting.

"What has Kurotsuchi done this time, SoiFon sighed"

"You never know when it comes to him, said Tōshirō"

"My guess is that he tried some new experiment that turned out way wrong, said Love"

"You could say that captain Aikawa, said Shunsui"

"So what happened, Rose asked"

"It looks like this experiment captain Kurotsuchi was conducting backfired and he is now been declared as unable to perform his captain's duties"

"You mean he's dead, said Kenpachi"

"No but whatever the experiment was has caused damage on his nerves that not even his own drugs can fix.

-So Central 46 has decided to have him removed"

"It's for the best, said Shinji

-That guy even used his own men as experiments"

"So who is taking over, Isane asked"

"I've already sent a message to Kisuke Urahara in the world of the living and he has accepted to come here and take over his old position as the 12th division captain.

-And there's one more person he'll bring with him:..."

"Who is that, Lisa asked"

"Ichigo..."

All captains looked at their superior with wide eyes.

"What's happened to him, Kensei asked"

"His life in the world of the living has reached it's end and I've already invited him to come and join the Gotei 13"

"You're gonna let him join a division right away, said SoiFon"

"It's not a bad idea, said Katsurou

-Ichigo does after all have the abilities and power of a captain"

"Captain Ukitake is right, said Shunsui

-But the boy also needs experience so he'll be assigned a seated officer post in one of the division and he'll become a captain when the time is right"

"So which division will he be a part of, Rose asked"

"I told him that he can decide himself when he gets here tomorrow along with Kisuke.

-So you're all dismissed for now and I'll call on you again tomorrow"

"YES SIR!"

 _ **The next day, Kisuke and Ichigo both arrived in the Soul Society. All the captains were of course curious about which division Ichigo had choosen to join.**_

Ichigo stood between the two rows of captains, Kisuke had already taken his place next to Tōshirō.

The former substitute Soul Reaper may have aged in the world of the living but his Soul Reaper form still looked like the 20 year old Ichigo.

"So Ichigo, which division have you choosen to join, Shunsui asked"

"I've been thinking a lot about it and I've reached a decision"

Everyone looked at him as Ichigo turned to face them.

"I've decided to join the 13th division"

Katsurou smiled when Ichigo looked at him.

"May I ask how you reached that decision, Shunsui asked"

"I'm not a healer, scientist or assassin so the 2th, 4th and 12th wouldn't have been the right place for me. I've already been around Shinji and the other Visored enough in the world of the living so neither of their division would work.

-If I had joined the 11th, Kenpachi would just want to fight me all the time which would bring a slight chaos to this place and I don't think I would fit in at the 6th division"

"So your final choises were the 1st, 10th and 13th, said Kensei"

"That's right. So I went with the 13th since I know I can learn a lot with them"

The other captains nodded understanding.

"Captain Ukitake, do you have anything to say, Shunsui asked"

"Just one thing"

Katsurou walked up to Ichigo and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Welcome to the 13th division"

"Thank you Kat... captain"

 **The captains were then dismissed and Katsurou led Ichigo to the 13th division were Rukia already had gathered the others.**

"Everyone, today our division will welcome a new member in the form of former Substitute Soul Reaper, Ichigo Kurosaki"

Ichigo walked over to the captain and looked at everyone who was gonna be his fellow division members.

"I hope you'll all treat him well since Ichigo will take over the position of 5th seat officer"

Ichigo looked at him in surprise while the others started to applaud before they were sent away to continue their work.

"Rukia would you please show Ichigo around the division. I have some reports to look over"

"Yes sir"

"And I also assign you to be his personal Kidō instructor since that is the only skill he hasn't mastered yet"

"You can trust me captain"

"Good.

-Ichigo, I leave you in Rukia's hands but don't hesitate to come see me if something bothers you"

"Yes sir"

 _ **Ichigo quickly adapted to his role in the division much to the happiness of Katsurou. He saw how Ichigo improved everyday when it came to his skills in Kidō and he believed it wouldn't be long before he would be a captain himself.**_

 _ **Some years after Ichigo had joined the 13th division, Shunsui stepped down as head-captain and Central 46 choose Byakuya to take over.**_

"With my brother as the new head-captain, the 6th division is going to need a new captain, said Rukia

-I guess it will be Renji..."

"No, Renji has already been choosen to take over the 5th division when captain Hirako and the other Visored steps down in a week"

"What about the other division they are leading, Ichigo asked"

"Izuru and Shūhei have both mastered their Bankai and will take over the 3rd and 9th. Nanao has been choosen to the over the 8th"

"But she doesn't have a Zanpakutō, said Rukia"

"That is true but she was choosen due to her skills in Kidō"

"What about Aikawa's division, Ichigo asked"

The two could see how a smirk appeared on their captain's face.

"That position is going to be yours, Ichigo"

"What?"

"Back when you first joined the Gotei 13, the head-captain said that when the time comes, you will take on the position of captain.

-Now you've mastered not only Kidō but you've also managed to seal your Zanpakutō. Which makes you a great candidate"

"I'm honored"

Katsurou smiled at him before turning to Rukia.

"As for your brother's position as the captain of the 6th divsion... That is a position you've been recommended for"

"Me?"

"Yes. For generations, the 6th division has always been led by a member of the Kuchiki clan. Byakuya's grandfather Ginrei was the captain before him, his great-grandfather was the captain before Ginrei.

-So in a few days, you will take the exam in front of the head-captain, captain SoiFon and Captain Urahara"

"I understand sir"

"Good. Then you can take some time from your work in order to prepare yourself"

"Yes sir"

 _ **Later: Ukitake estate.**_

"So have you decided on who's going to be your new lieutenant?"

Katsurou looked up from the book he was reading and looked towards his father.

"Not really. Sentarō would be an obvious choice since he's served as a 3rd seat since I was promoted to lieutenant but he lacks a few skills needed for a lieutenant"

"What about those werewolves you helped a while back?"

"Those two are actually not a bad choice"

The two then heard the door to the room open and turned around to see Hana stand there.

"Speaking of people being reaching new ranks in the Gotei 13, maybe we should start thinking about letting the kids enter the academy"

"We should. I feel more and more spiritual pressure from Hikaru every single day"

"It's a wise choice you two, said Jūshirō

-But Haruka's powers are also growing. Maybe not as much as Hikaru's but she'll soon be at there as well"

"I know dad"

Katsurou then turned to his wife.

"Once all new captains have been instated, I'll make sure to have Hikaru signed up for the entrance exam"

"Sounds like a good plan"

 **A few days later: 7th division.**

"So what brings you here Ukitake, Love asked"

"As you know Captain Aikawa, Rukia is going to be promoted to captain along with Ichigo and the others in a few days. That means I'll be without a lieutenant.

-So I came here to ask for either Shouma or Urui to take on the position as my lieutenant"

"Why the wolf brothers? Doesn't your 3rd seat have what it takes?"

"Those brothers have the potential and abilities of lieutenant level Soul Reapers, Sentarō still lacks a few things"

"I see"

The 7th division captain stood up from his desk and walked to the door.

"I'll take you to them"

"Thank you"

The captains walked outside were the members of the 7th division were training under Tetsuzaemon's guidance.

"Iba could we borrow Shouma and Urui for a moment?"

"Of course sir"

Tetsuzaemon gestured to the two brothers to take a break and they walked over to the two captains.

"Something the matter sir, Urui asked"

"Not at all but Ukitake here wanted to speak with you"

The brothers turned to the man who they had known since they were cubs.

"In a few days time, I'll lose my lieutenant since she's getting promoted.

-I came here to ask if one of you want to transfer over to the 13th as my new lieutenant"

"Are you sure, Shouma asked"

"Yes. You both have potential to be great lieutenants and your abilities are at that level.

-But since the two of you wanted to follow in Sajin's pawprints here at the 7th, I'm leaving the choice to you. You don't have to accept my offer but if you do, you two will make the choice on who it will be"

"We're honored sir, said Urui"

"I'll be awaiting your answer"

With that, Katsurou left the 7th division.

The next day, he was sitting in his office when Shouma came.

"Excuse me for bothering you sir"

"You're not bothering me at all Shouma.

-I guess you're here about the offer I gave you and your brother yesterday"

"Yes. We talked and reached the decision that I will become your new lieutenant"

The captain smiled and stood up before walking over to the young wolf, placing a hand on his arm.

"I'm glad. Thank you Shouma"

"I'm looking forward to working with you Kats... captain Ukitake"

Katsurou smiled at him and Shouma smiled back.

"You don't have to transfer over here until the day of Rukia's promotion but I'll let the head-captain know that you will become my new lieutenant"

"Yes sir"

 _ **A few days later, it was time. Renji and the others had already been promoted the previous days and only Rukia was left to take on the captain's position.**_

All captains and lieutenants were gathered in the 1st divsion.

"Will the new captain please enter, said Byakuya"

The doors opened and in came Rukia wearing the Haori of the 6th division.

"Captains and lieutenants of the Gotei 13. Today, the lieutenant of the 13th division, Rukia Kuchiki is promoted to the rank of 6th division captain.

-Serve the Gotei 13 and your division well, captain Kuchiki"

"I will head-captain"

Rukia bowed to her brother before taking her place between Isane and Nanao.

"I also believe we have a few lieutenants to name"

"Yes head-captain, said SoiFon

-Marechiyo Omaeda has stepped down as the lieutenant of the 2nd division and his position will be taken over by Yūshirō Shihōin"

"Rikichi, the 4th seat of the 6th division is who I've choosen to be my lieutenant, said Rukia"

"I've choosen Shouma, the 5th seat of the 7th division to become my lieutenant, said Katsurou"

The doors to the room then opened and the three new lieutenants entered the room and walked over to their captains who gave them their lieutenant badges.

 _ **And so, a new generation of the Gotei 13 had taken their place and even though their methods were different from their predecessors, they led their division with the wisdom they had gained during their years of service in the Gotei 13.**_

 _So to recap the new captains and lieutenants._

 _1st division: Byakuya and Okikiba._

 _2nd division: SoiFon and Yūshirō_

 _3rd division: Izuru and Inose_

 _4th division: Isane and Kiyone_

 _5th division: Renji and Momo_

 _6th division: Rukia and Rikichi_

 _7th division: Ichigo and Tetsuzaemon_

 _8th division: Nanao and Tatsufusa_

 _9th division: Shūhei and Mashiro_

 _10th division: Tōshirō and Rangiku_

 _11th division: Kenpachi and Ikkaku_

 _12th division: Kisuke and Akon_

 _13th division: Katsurou and Shouma._

 _ **And so, this story has come to an end. Thank you very much to all of you who has followed and commented on this story.**_

 _ **If you're interested, I would like doing something similar but with Hikaru and Haruka.**_


	27. Side story:The Zanpakuto becomes enemies

_Hello there._

 _So I decided that there are yet a few things I want to do with this story so I can't call it complete yet._

 _The Zanpakuto arc has to be my favorite of the filler arcs in Bleach so I decided to add it into this story._

 _ **Zanpakutō**_ _ **, the main weapon of all Soul Reapers. Each sword's shape and abilities differs depending on the owner and are based on that person's soul. The Zanpakutō are born with their wielder and dies along with them.**_

 _ **Each sword has two states, Shikai which is the first release and Bankai, the second release which has to be learned in order to reach the rank of captain.**_

 _ **Inside the so called inner worlds of the Soul Reapers, there resides spirits who's appearance and abilites also are reflections of their masters' souls. Their powers are separate from their owners and when a Soul Reaper draws this power, their Zanpakutō will become even stronger.**_

 _ **Our story will focus on exactly these spirits...**_

It was a rarley calm day in the Seireitei and the members of the 6th division were watching their captain and lieutenant having a sparring match against each other.

Both of them unleashed their Bankai and continued their fight until Byakuya returned his blade petals to his sword and ended the fight.

"Captain is something wrong?"

"No"

Then they hear clapping and the captains of the 8th and 13th division came up to them along with their lieutenants.

"That was quite the sparring session, said Shunsui"

"Yes lieutenant Abarai, your skills have improved, said Jūshirō"

"Oh have they, thank you"

"He's right Renji, you can really control that Bankai of yours pretty well now, said Katsurou."

"Thanks Katsurou"

Then, Byakuya turned around and started to leave.

"That would be all for today"

"Yes sir. I appreciate the opportunity"

Byakuya then put SenbonZakura back in its scabbard before he walked away.

 _ **Later: 13th division.**_

It was almost dark and Katsurou was sitting outside the divsion with his Zanpakutō in his lap. He had been having trouble speaking with the wolf spirit for a few days now and he was getting a bit worried about him.

" _It feels like he's avoiding me. Why Kuroi?"_

He sighed and stroke a hand over the handle before standing up and putting it at his waist.

He then walked inside the barracks to his father's office.

"Suro, is something wrong?"

"Well... Dad have you been having trouble communicating with Sōgyo no Kotowari lately?"

"Now when you say it, I have actually. How come?"

"I've been unable to enter my inner world and talk to Kuroi since a few days back. The last time I was there he was with me for a while but then everything turned black and I was back here"

"It sounds strange"

"Yeah. I also heard Rangiku and Isane are having trouble communicating with Haineko and Itegumo as well"

"That some of us have trouble communicating with our Zanpakutō in indeed unusual. I wonder what's going on"

A Hell Butterfly then came in through then window and landed on Katsurou's finger.

"Head-captain Yamamoto wants all captains and lieutenants to gather on Sōkyoku Hill"

"Sōkyoku Hill? I wonder why he wants us to gather there at this hour?"

"We better head over there and find out"

"You're right"

 **They Flash Stepped over to the hill were some of the other captains and lieutenants already had gathered.**

While Jūshirō walked up to Shunsui, Katsurou walked over to Shūhei and Izuru.

"So do you guys have any idea what's going on around here?"

"Not at all, said Shūhei"

"It's weird that the head-captain called us all out here at this hour, said Izuru"

More and more people then started to arrive and one of them was Rukia.

"Rukia, the head-captain summoned you as well"

"Yes sir. But I'm not sure why I was called here since I'm not even a seated officer"

"I guess we'll have to wait and see but this urgent summon is starting to get more and more strange"

The other captains and lieutenants soon appeared and once Tōshirō and Rangiku had arrived, they were all gathered.

They then heard sounds from the rope bridge a bit away and turned around to see Sasakibe.

"Lieutenant Sasakibe what's going on here, Izuru asked

-And were is the head-captain?"

Before he could answer, Sasakibe collapsed and Izuru, Momo and Shūhei all ran up to him while all the others looked around for an enemy. Retsu and Isane also ran over to the lieutenant.

Then, a man dressed in a white coat appeared behind them.

"I'm afraid the head-captain won't be joining us tonight, he said"

"And just who the hell are you, asked Tōshirō"

The man didn't answer so Sajin appeared in front of him.

"What did you do with head-captain Yamamoto?"

The man didn't answer him.

"So you refuse to answer. Well in that case"

Sajin drew his sword and tried to attack but the mysterious man jumped away. Ikkaku and Yumichika was about to join the fight when Tetsuzaemon stopped them and told them to let Sajin fight.

"BANKAI. KOKUJŌ TENGEN MYŌ'Ō"

The giant of his Bankai appeared behind Sajin. He swung his sword towards the mysterious man and the giant was about to mimic his moves but something was wrong.

"SAJIN BEHIND YOU, Katsurou shouted.

Instead of attacking the mysterious man, the giant attacked Sajin instead. But thanks to the warning, he got away before the giant's sword could hit him.

Sajin got up on his feet and the Bankai disappeared. In its stead stood there a large, muscular, red-skinned man with spiky blue hair who was even bigger than Sajin

"Who are you, Sajin asked"

The man appeared to be growling and fire appeared in his mouth. Sajin then realized who it was.

"Tenken, but how?"

Tenken then attacked Sajin who blocked the attack but he got caught by the other weapon that Tenken was wielding. He got pulled closer to him and Tenken once again attacked Sajin with his sword and this time, the captain couldn't escape and collapsed on the ground, defeated.

 _ **Others then tried to activate their Shikai but it didn't work.**_

"What's wrong with this thing, said Renji

-There's no spiritual pressure in my Zanpakutō"

"You're right, the spiritual pressure is indeed absent, said Mayuri

-The question is why"

"It's very simple, you and your precious Zanpakutō are no longer united as one, said the mysterious man

-I freed them. Released them from the Soul Reapers control"

Then he moved his arm to the side and explosions was heard in the Seireitei.

"What are you trying to pull now you psycho, said Renji"

"Oh that wasn't me. Your own Zanpakutō are responsible for this destruction. They have all been released from your control."

Then, multiple strange looking people appeared around the man. It was the Zanpakutō spirits and few even came from behind their own Soul Reapers.

"Enough about this, tell us who you are, said Byakuya"

"I'm known as Muramasa and this night marks the end of the Soul Reapers reign over the Zanpakutō. From now on it's the Zanpakutō who rule over the Soul Reapers"

A sword then appeared in Muramasa's hand and he struck it into the ground so it raised him and the other spirits.

"The Zanpakutō will rule the Soul Reapers, said Jūshirō.

-What is that, a joke?"

"On the contrary, everyone of your Zanpakutō are now free from your control, said Muramasa"

All spirits laughed as they looked down at the Soul Reapers.

Muramasa then explained that he used Katen Kyōkotsu, Sōgyo no Kotowari and Minazuki to seal away Yamamoto since Ryūjin Jakka refused to cooperate with him.

"That's insane, they couldn't seal away the head-captain, said SoiFon"

"This is truely interesting, said Mayuri"

"You expect us to believe that, said Shunsui"

"You may not believe it but that it the truth, said Muramasa"

 **Then** , Ikkaku ran in front of the others. He jumped up and tried to attack Muramasa but one of the spirits blocked his attack.

"We've all heard enough from you, said Ikkaku.

-The time of listening to what you have to say is over"

The others then all started to clash with the spirits.

"Shūhei let's attack together"

"Right behind you Suro"

The two leaped towards one of the spirits who looked like a brown skinned man with orange hair.

But before they could attack, two black wolves came out of nowhere and attacked them.

" _This can't be..."_

Katsurou pushed the wolf off him and looked around until he saw him. A man dressed in a grey kimono, long black hair, a scar running over his nose, another over his eye and dark energy surrounds his hands. The man also had wolf ears, paws and a tail.

" _Oh no, Kuroi"_

Suddenly, Konjiki Ashisogi Jizō appeared above everyone and not long after that, Hihiō Zabimaru who attacked the Soul Reapers.

They managed to get away but the Zanpakutō moved down to the streets and started to create chaos on the streets.

 _ **When morning came so hours later, they were all gone.**_

"How did something like this happen, said Izuru"

"How could our Zanpakutō do all this, said Renji"

"That Muramasa must be controlling them somehow, said Katsurou.

-There's no other way. Kuroi would never do something like this of his own will"

The other two looked at him and saw a slight anger in the lieutenant's eyes.

"I have to go, Captain Unohana asked me to help heal the injured"

"Alright, see you later, said Renji"

Katsurou nodded and made his way to the 4th division were he was shown to a room full of injured.

"Could you please take care of some of them, Iemura asked"

"No problem"

He walked up to one of the injured and a green light shone around his hands as he started to use his healing Kidō.

After a few hours, a member of the 4th came up to him.

"Excuse me lieutenant Ukitake"

"Yes"

"There's someone here looking for either a captain or lieutenant"

"Alright. I'll take care of it"

He walked out of the room and down the hall to the entrance of the division and found Yoruichi.

"Mrs Yoruichi"

"Hello Katsurou. It looks like I came to the right place"

"Right place for what?"

"I was looking for someone to ask about everything that's happened. Seeing how you're here, I guess your captain is as well"

"Yes. Let me take you to him. He's with Captain Unohana and Captain Kyōraku"

"Right"

 **Katsurou led her outside were the three captains were and they all told her what had happened.**

"Let me get this straight, these renegates did all this damage in a few hours and then just quickly disappeared"

"Without a trace, yes, said Jūshirō"

"So many were injured in the Seireitei, said Shunsui.

 **-** They started with the 1st division barracks and then they tore this place apart, burning a bunch of buildings"

The only good news we have is that luckily they left the relief center untouched, said Retsu."

"The 2nd and 12th divsion barracks are also still intact, said Jūshirō."

"Captain SoiFon has headed out with the rest of the stealth force, they will try to track down the Zanpakutō spirits, said Katsurou.

-Captain Kurotsuchi is also trying to investigate what could have caused all this"

"Well for now we'll use the 4th division barracks as a command center, said Jūshirō.

-I'll start assigning all of the able Soul Reapers to security posts immediatly"

"Yes do that, said Retsu.

-With the head-captain missing, I think all of us know that we need to pull together."

"We do"

"I'll go back to the world of the living then, said Yoruichi

-We need to figure out why these Zanpakutō spirits are rebelling. I'll have a talk with Kisuke about this"

"Good idea, said Retsu.

-It seems that as much help as we can get."

"Well then, I'll get to it"

With that, she disappeared and the Soul Reapers all got back to work.

 _ **Later.**_

Katsurou had finished what he could help with at the 4th and was walking around.

" _I can't believe this. First all Zanpakutō spirits starts to rebell against us and with that, destroying parts of the Seireitei. And now we get to know that Byakuya is the only captain who's missing._

 _-What is going on here?"_

He stopped walking and placed a hand on the handle of his Zanpakutō.

 _"Why would you do something like this Kuroi. That Muramasa must have done something to you"_

"KATSUROU!"

He turned around and saw Renji come towards him.

"Renji, what's the matter?"

"Have you seen Rukia?"

"I may be her lieutenant but I don't have my eyes on her all the time. Besides, you told us that she managed to escape to the world of the living"

"I know but she returned earlier and came by the 6th division looking for the captain. She didn't take the news about him being missing that well"

"I understand that"

"Then she left and I haven't been able to find her"

 _"That's strange_

 _-_ I'll keep my eyes open _"_

 _"_ Thanks"

Renji then went back the way he came from and Katsurou kept walking.

After a while, he felt two strong spiritual pressures and then a 3rd appeared.

" _Ichigo is here and that 3rd spiritual pressure is Muramasa"_

He followed the spiritual pressures but when he arrived, the two were gone.

 _"Damn it. I missed them"_

He then heard very low noises and looked around to see someone laying in a crater not far from him.

So he got closer and saw that the person was Rukia.

" _What happened to her?"_

He knelt next to her and let some healing Kidō surround his hand.

 _"She's too injured for me to be of any help. I need to take her to captain Unohana"_

Carefully, he lifted Rukia up into his arms and Flash Stepped to the 4th division were Isane was the first one to see him.

"Lieutenant Ukitake what's happened?"

"I found Rukia and she's seriously injured"

Isane looked at Rukia who still was unconscious in her lieutenant's arms.

"Come with me"

Katsurou followed her into a room were he gently placed Rukia on the bed.

"I got it from here lieutenant Ukitake. You should go report this to your captain"

"Good idea"

He walked to the door and out of the room to let Isane and her officers work.


	28. Side story part 2: Battle begins

Katsurou walked down the halls of the barracks until he found Jūshirō.

"Dad"

"Ah Suro, there you are. Did you just get here?"

"Yes. I was out taking a walk when I found Rukia"

"I thought she was in the world of the living"

"I did as well but I meet Renji and he told me that she returned earlier today.

-I found her a while later and I think she's been in a battle since she was seriously injured"

"How is she now?"

"Isane is taking care of her"

"Do you think she fought her Zanpakutō?"

"Maybe, there was some traces of ice in the area so that could mean she meet Sode no Shirayuki"

"I see"

"Any news on Byakuya by the way. Renji told me Rukia didn't take the news about him being missing that well"

"I'm afraid that his spiritual pressure has been extinguished. No one can find traces of it"

"Just great. Of all times for him to disappear it has to be now"

"I know.

-Let's go see if Shunsui has found anything out"

"Right"

They walked down the hall and into a room were Shunsui was.

"How's it going Shunsui, Jūshirō asked.

-Did you find out anything new?"

"No, nothing very help full and old-man Yama is still missing.

-What's happening at your end?"

"We're having a hard time. However, captain SoiFon's punishment force is rushing to assess the situation and handle the damage done to each division.

-Thanks to their efforts we're now able to mobilize resources more efficiently. I've already dispatched all available divisions to seek out and capture the Zanpakutō that has been manifested."

"Oh brother, everyone is out there trying to capture their own weapons. What a screwed up situation to be in"

"What makes this situation worse is that the still missing captain Kuchiki's spirtual pressure has been extinguished, said Katsurou"

"That's very stange, said Shunsui"

"It sounds like a very unpromising state of affairs"

The three men looked towards the door where the voice came from and saw Retsu.

"What a surprise, I had no idea you were here, said Shunsui"

"Oh I don't believe for one moment that you didn't sense my presence Shunsui"

"You're frightening me with your insight"

"How is Rukia doing, Jūshirō asked."

"Is there any improvement, Katsurou asked"

"Well for now if nothing changes it appears her life is out of danger, said Retsu

-But her wound is deep and she remains unconscious"

"Given the severity of her injury we should be gratefull that she's alive, said Shunsui"

"I'd like to apologize for over running your barracks while setting up our temporary command center, said Jūshirō."

"It's alright, we need to consolidate, said Retsu.

-Now is not the time to scatter our military strength. My 4th division is ready to assist. We'll do everything possible to help with the situation"

"At the moment, our top priority is to somehow stop the Zanpakutō and their rampage, said Katsurou"

"In regards to that, I recieved a request from the 12th division for test subjects to use in gathering further data, said Retsu.

-I just came from Captain Kurotsuchi's examination"

"You did captain Unohana, said Jūshirō."

"Is there a problem?"

"Not at all. I'm just surprised that you would comply with his request"

"Now is not the time to be concerned with ones ethics. According to captain Kurotsuchi, the Zanpakutō have somehow managed to become completly independent of their Soul Reapers"

"Independent, said Shunsui"

"That's correct, if we make a mistake while dealing with them, there's a possibility that the Zanpakutō will be lost forever"

"That doesn't sound good"

 **Retsu then left the three of them to continue her work with taking care of the injured.**

"Our Zanpakutō could be lost forever, said Shunsui"

"Dad do you really think that's possible, Katsurou asked"

"Yes, said Jūshirō.

-A broken Zanpakutō would under normal circumstances regenerate once its master fully heals. However, our Zanpakutō have left our bodies and not exists as entities that are completely independent from us. Meaning that the rules may have changed from what they once were"

"Let me get this straight Jūshirō, said Shunsui.

-You're thinking that killing those manifestations could lead to us losing our Zanpakutō"

"It sounds logical but we have no actual proof, said Katsurou"

""I would sure hate to jump to the wrong conclusion"

"That's true, said Jūshirō.

-However, the thing that worries me the most is if we were to confront our Zanpakutō with such question in mind. Would we even stand a chance against them?"

Suddenly, the doors opened and Izuru came into the room.

"I'm sorry to disturb you captains"

"What's the matter Lieutenant Kira, Jūshirō asked"

Izuru looked at the two captains and then his fellow lieutenant.

"I think Shūhei is in trouble"

"What do you mean, Katsurou asked"

"A few of my men saw him move towards the forest with a black tornado behind him"

"It must be Kazeshini who's come here.

-Let's go help him Izuru"

"Right"

 **The two of them left the 4th and made their way to the forest were they felt Shūhei's spiritual pressure.**

"There he is, said Izuru"

They saw Shūhei with his back against a tree and infront of him stood a man who looked slightly like a demon with the red outline around his black body and dark gray strips of cloth around his neck, shoulders, his wrists, and his lower body.

"Is that his Zanpakutō?"

"Look at the weapon he is holding Izuru. It's the same as Shūhei's Shikai so that has to be Kazeshini"

The two of them then saw how Kazeshini was about to throw his weapon at Shūhei so they both drew their swords and appeared between them to block the attack.

"Who the hell are you two, said Kazeshini"

"A Zanpakutō slaying his own master, I didn't think you could have such poor taste, said Izuru"

"Izuru, Katsurou, said Shūhei"

"Shūhei stay still and try not to talk to much, said Katsurou.

-Those injuries look pretty bad. We'll heal you once we're done with this guy"

"Not gonna happen. I can't just sit here and let you two take care of my problem"

"We didn't plan this either but we can't let a fellow lieutenant to die before we figure out how to resolve this problem, said Izuru."

Both Izuru and Katsurou then assumed battle stances.

"Two more idiots to kill, said Kazeshini.

-That's fine by me. I don't really give a damn which of you wants to die first. After all, my desire is to reap as many lives as possible."

"Really aiming high aren't you, said Izuru"

"I might as well take full advantage of my freedom"

The two lieutenants looked at Kazeshini before the spirit fired a shadow blade towards them that Katsurou blocked. Kazeshini fired another that also got blocked.

But then, he fired a third much larger one towards them.

"Bakudō #39 Enkōsen"

The two lieutenants generated two shield infront of them that blocked the attack.

Once the shield disappeared, they heard Kazeshini laugh before both his weapons was hurtled towards them.

Both used their Zanpakutō to deflect them.

"Too slow"

"Just waiting on you, said Izuru"

Kazeshini appeared behind them and looked a bit surprised.

"Bakudō #37. Tsuriboshi"

White ropes appeared and attached themselves to the nearby trees as Kazeshini hit the center for them. Izuru and Katsurou then used Flash Step to get to Shūhei before getting away.

 **After a while, they stopped.**

"I think we're safe here. Let's try to heal him a bit"

"Okay"

They placed Shūhei on the ground and while Izuru held him up, Katsurou healed the wounds the best he could.

Once his wounds were healed enough so they stopped bleeding, the two lieutenants carried Shūhei to the 4th division.

"He'll be fine after some rest, said Retsu"

"That's good to hear"

"You did a good job healing him Katsurou. Your skills in healing has certainly grown"

"Thank you very much captain Unohana"

"Hey Katsurou, Mrs Unohana"

The two turned around and saw Ichigo come towards them.

"Ichigo, I though I sensed your spiritual pressure earlier"

"Yeah. That Muramasa guy came as I saved Rukia from her Zanpakutō and he ended up taking control of Zangetsu"

"He got your Zanpakutō too?"

"Yeah. But I managed to get him back"

The captain and lieutenant looked at each other before turning to Ichigo.

"Do you mind coming with us for a moment, Ichigo. I'm sure Captain Ukitake and Captain Kyōraku wants to hear this as well"

"Sure"

The three of them made their way through the division to the room the two captains were in. There, Ichigo explained everything that happened after he came to the Seireitei.

"I don't think he's controlling the Zanpakutō with his mind. What he has done is stir up the resentment that the Zanpakutō feel towards their masters. He's using their anger to lead them against us.

-There's only one way to get our Zanpakutō back. That's to fight and defeat them so they'll surrender their power to us again"

"I see, said Jūshirō.

-Well what do you know. It looks like we've discovered a way to solve this problem."

"Yeah but hold on, said Shunsui"

"What is it captain Kyōraku, Katsurou asked"

"This might sound like a good solution but it's gonna take time to find all of our Zanpakutō and make them surrender to us.

-You think their leader will sit by while we do that. I'm thinking no"

"In any case, we're gonna have too, said Ichigo"

Then there was a knock on the door and Renji walked in along with Zabimaru who now looked like a woman with green fur over her body and a young boy with a long white snake tail.

"I was told you all wanted to see me"

"Yes, I called you here to find out if you learned anything from your battle with your Zanpakutō that could help us out, said Jūshirō"

"I wish they could but these two don't remember anything about what happened"

 _ **Meanwhile in a cave.**_

Kazeshini was sitting at a table a long with a Zanpakutō spirit that looked like a fat red-haired man while Kuroi was laying a bit away in his wolf form, sleeping.

The dark skinned, orange haired Zanpakutō then came up to them.

"Hey you three"

Kuroi looked up at him before he changed to his human form and walked over to the others.

"What is it Hōzukimaru, he asked"

"Did you hear that Zabimaru lost a battle to a Soul Reaper"

"Yeah, imagine getting beaten by a Soul Reaper, said Kazeshini

-That pathetic or what"

"Just because you won your battle, you think you're better than us, said the fat Zanpakutō"

"Gegetsuburi is right and besides, you didn't win against those two, said Kuroi"

"What was that you damn mutt, said Kazeshini"

"As I heard, those two lieutenants you fought against trapped you in a Kidō spell. So neither your or them won the battle"

Hōzukimaru then slammed his fist on the table.

"Enough you two!"

The two Zanpakutō looked at him before Kuroi decided to walk away.

 _"At least those guys remember their masters. That ice guy and I don't remember our masters._

 _-At least I remember my name unlike him"_


	29. Side story p3: Master and Zanpakuto bond

_**Darkness of night had fallen over the Soul Society**_

 _ **Omaeda and Ikkaku had both engaged their**_ _ **Zanpakutō in combat as the two had entered the Seireitei.**_

 _ **They managed to catch Gegetsuburi but Hōzukimaru got away.**_

While the others had been busy with the two Zanpakutō, Katsurou had moved towards the forest.

" _I know I felt your spiritual pressure around here so were are you?"_

He kept Flash Stepping around until he found who he was looking for.

Kuroi in his human form was standing in a clearing, looking up at the moon.

"Kuroi!"

The Zanpakutō looked to the side when Katsurou landed a bit away.

"I finally found you"

"You're the Soul Reaper who stopped one of my wolves back there.

-How did you do it? And how do you know my name? Or at least part of it"

"I stopped that wolf because I knew how and I know your name because you told it to me on the day we first meet. You are also the one who told me to call you Kuroi.

-I'm Katsurou Ukitake. I am your master"

"I don't believe you"

"What?"

"I can sense that you posess a pure heart. Due to my powers over the shadows, I doubt my master would have that"

Katsurou looked at his Zanpakutō with sadness in his eyes.

"I see. Then I guess I have to prove it too you that I am your master.

-I'll fight you until your memories of our time together returns"

"So be it. But fighting me now during the night is a bad decision"

 _"I know. I've told others that so many times myself"_

Kuroi held out a hand were the energy around it took the form of his Shikai.

Katsurou then drew his own sword and the two clashed.

 _"Don't worry Kuroi. I'll make you remember me again"_

Suddenly, Kuroi disappeared from his sight.

" _Were did he go?"_

Katsurou looked around him until he realized were his Zanpakutō was and managed to block an attack from behind.

"I was right"

Out from his shadow came Kuroi.

"That was clever of you.

-How did you know I can attack from the shadows?"

"Like I told you, I am your master and with that, I know everything about your power"

Katsurou placed his hands on the ground and swiftly kicked his leg up which hit Kuroi and sent him flying into a nearby tree.

"Did you think my abilities were limited to only Zanpakutō? If so you're wrong.

-During the years, I've trained up all my different skills so they are at the same level"

"Impressive. You deserve your rank alright.

-But can you stop this"

Kuroi swung his sword and the shadows wolves appeared before attacking Katsurou.

"Ye lord! Mask of flesh and bone, flutter of wings, ye who bears the name of Man! Truth and temperance, upon this sinless wall of dreams unleash but slightly the wrath of your claws

-Hadō #33 Sōkatsui"

Blue flames came from Katsurou's palm and destroyed all the wolves.

He then leaped towards Kuroi and their swords clashed.

"Kuroi what is it that you desire?"

"Desire?"

"Only you know what your soul desires the most in this world"

"My desire is to have a place to call home and to never be alone"

Katsurou's eyes widened at that.

 **Many years earlier.**

A young Katsurou was sitting in an alley trying to catch his breath.

"Why does those bigger kids always pick on me. It's not like I have anything to give them"

He looked up and saw a girl that was a few years older than him and a woman walk past him.

" _What is it that makes me different from the rest of them?"_

Later that day, it had started to rain heavily and Katsurou was on his own under a roof in the alley.

 _ **Back then I never knew what made me different from the other kids or that my life would change to something better.**_

 _A few years later._

Katsurou, now a young man was sitting opposite his adoptive father.

"Suro I think you should take the exam for the Soul Reaper academy"

"You really think so?"

"Yes. Your powers has gotten stronger and the academy is the only place that can teach you how to control them."

"I understand father"

"Good"

"If you don't mind me asking, is there a way my powers were present when I was younger?"

"What makes you ask that?"

"I was just wondering if that could be the reason why kids picked on me back in Rukongai, because my powers scared them"

Jūshirō looked at his son before nodding.

"Those of us with spirit energy carry it with us from the day we are born. So even though it may have been weak, I do think others may have felt it from you

-But if you're afraid of it being the same at the academy, you don't have to be. The people coming there are just like you, people with spiritual powers they want to control. You may even find a few friends among them"

 _ **End Flashback.**_

Kuroi hit Katsurou in the stomach with his fist which sent the lieutenant flying back but he managed to regain his footing.

"Howl Towards the Shining Moon!"

Katsurou gripped his sword tighter and it transformed into its Shikai form.

"Kage Pakku!"

Swining the sword, five shadow wolves appeared and stood in front of him.

"You're using my power"

"I told you, I am your master so of course I can use your powers"

Katsurou then ran towards Kuroi who changed to his wolf form and when his fangs meet the blade of Katsurou's sword, they found themselves surrounded by darkness.

"Kuroi please remember me.

-On the day we first meet, you said you'd always be there for me no matter what"

He looked straight into the wolf's eyes as he said that and he could see a glimp in his eyes that wasn't there before.

"Remember who it was that heard your voice! Remember who heard your name!

-Kuroi Ōkami!"

Kuroi's eyes widened as he realized who Katsurou was.

"Master"

The darkness around them then disappeared and Kuroi shook his head as he opened his eyes.

" _Ow my head"_

The wolf stood up and looked around until he saw the unmoving form of Katsurou a bit away.

"Master!"

He went over to him and gently pushed his nose against him. He didn't wake up but seeing him breath was enough for now.

"I need to find help"

Then, Rangiku and Momo came from among the trees.

"Lieutenant Matsumoto, lieutenant Hinamori"

"Who are you, Momo asked"

Rangiku looked at the wolf before realizing who he was.

"You're Kuroi Ōkami, Katsurou's Zanpakutō"

"Yes, that's me"

"What have you done to him?"

The two reached for their swords and Kuroi slightly backed away.

"Please listen to me. I know this looks bad but I didn't want to hurt my master"

"Really?"

"Yes. My master came here to fight me so he could get me back and away from Muramasa's control. I did this to him because I had lost my memories about him"

"Lost your memories?"

"Yes. The others left their master willingly but Hyōrinmaru and I refused so Muramasa forcefully removed us from them which made us lose our memories of them.

-My master defeated me and that's how I'm able to remember him now"

The two women saw how the wolf's ears flattened and they understood that he was really sorry for what he had done.

Rangiku then walked up to him and placed her hand on the side of his face.

"I understand Kuroi Ōkami. Katsurou always talks about who you've been there for him when he's needed you the most.

-Seeing you under Muramasa's control hurt him and he wanted you back despite knowing the risks of fighting you. But the important thing is that he got you back"

"He cares deeply about you, said Momo.

-I've never seen a Soul Reaper that cares about his Zanpakutō as much as he cares about you"

"So don't blame yourself for this okay"

Kuroi looked at the two and nodded.

"Thank you, both of you"

"I'm glad we can help, said Momo"

"Now, take Katsurou to the 4th, said Rangiku"

Kuroi nodded and the two help him get his master onto his back before he started to run.

 _ **He ran through the forest and across rooftops until he reached the 4th divison.**_

Once he landed in the garden, he was surrounded by Soul Reapers.

"I didn't come here to fight"

"They why are you here, Zanpakutō?"

Jūshirō, Shunsui and Retsu then came from the barracks and when the 13th captain saw the wolf, he stepped forward.

"Everyone stand down"

The Soul Reapers lowered their swords as he walked up to the wolf spirit.

"I take it that you're back to yourself, Kuroi Ōkami"

"Yes. I was defeated in battle by my master"

"Were is he now?"

Kuroi's ears flattened as he slightly moved his head to the side and it was then Jūshirō noticed his son on the wolf's back.

"He used all his strength to get me back"

Kuroi then looked at the 4th division captain.

"Please help him"

Retsu nodded and a few of her men carefully lifted Katsurou from Kuroi's back and carried him inside.

Kuroi then changed to his human form and walked inside with the other two captains.

As they stood in the hallway, the two captains saw that the spirit looked a bit tense and Jūshirō put a hand on his shoulder.

"Kuroi Ōkami don't blame yourself for my son's injuries. He knew the risks and gave it his all to get you back"

"You're not angry at me for hurting him?"

"Of course not. You were under Muramasa's control after all"

The doors to the room then opened and they watched how the newly healed lieutenant was taken to another room.

"How is he, Shunsui asked"

"He's exhausted both mentally and physically, said Retsu

-A few injuries were worse than others but they will heal"

"That's good news, said Jūshirō"

Retsu nodded before turning to Kuroi.

"You don't know by any chance why our Zanpakutō left us?"

"I do actually. That was the only thing a few of them talked about"

"So what is is, Jūshirō asked"

"Well **Suzumebachi** is always talking about how she left SoiFon due to her inability to pay attention to herself.

 **Gegetsuburi,** the one you captured left Omaeda because he didn't like his appearance and braggart personality

 **Tobiume** left lieutenant Hinamori because she wanted to get stronger and though the lieutenant was too weak for her.

 **Zabimaru** left because of a smiliar reason. He had grown tired of his master's weakness and wanted to get strong on his own.

 **Kazeshini** doesn't think lieutenant Hisagi truly understood him.

 **Haineko** wanted a new, exiting life without lieutenant Matsumoto.

 **Hōzukimaru** left because Ikkaku acted all though but didn't have the skills to back it up.

 **Sode No Shirayuki** was resentful toward Rukia for not considering how she was forcing her to lend her power"

"What about the Zanpakutō of the other captains, Shunsui asked"

"Well, I don't know about Minazuki since she didn't talk to anyone of us. Same with, Ashisogi Jizō, SenbonZakura and Tenken.

-I did talk with Katen Kyōkotsu once and Katen said they left you because they couldn't stand your arrogance"

"My arrogance?"

"That's what Katen said at least.

-Hyōrinmaru was forced away from his master by Muramasa and lost his memories just like me"

"What about Sōgyo no Kotowari, Jūshirō asked"

"I've actually tried to avoid those two since all they did was chase me around the hideout but they did say once that they don't really have a grudge against you.

-I guess since their manifestation are two kids, they see this whole thing as a game"

"So that's how it is huh"

"Yes. I also have a feeling that they will strike against the Seireitei again soon. Especially now when Zabimaru, Zangetsu and I have returned to our master"

The captains thanked Kuroi for his help before they walked away to take care of some things.

Kuroi himself walked into his master's room and stood by his bed, looking down at his sleeping owner.

"I'm so sorry master"


	30. Side p4: Battle in the living world

**Night soon turned into day and Kuroi didn't leave his master's side once.**

The sun had started to set once more when Jūshirō came into the room.

"How is everything Kuroi Ōkami?"

"Everything is fine. My master has just been sleeping"

"That's good. He needs rest in order to recover from your battle. He will probably not fight for a while just like captain Hitsugaya"

"What happened to him?"

"He too fought his Zanpakutō and won. But he too is exhausted from the battle and needs rest like Suro"

Kuroi looked up at the man and saw the look in his eyes.

"Is something bothering you Jūshirō?"

"It's just that, I just came from telling Rukia that her brother has joined Muramasa and the Zanpakutō.

-You don't happen to know anything about it do you?"

"Not at all. I heard from the others that Byakuya went missing on the night Muramasa had us attack the Seireitei the first time but he hasn't been close to us at all"

"I see"

The captain then moved towards the door.

"I have things to do.

-Can I trust you to stay with my son until he wakes up?"

"Of course. I won't leave his side"

"Thank you...Kuroi"

The man then left the room and Kuroi sat down on the chair next to his master's bed.

 **Some hours later.**

Kuroi stood by the window and looked outside.

" _The others are here. I hope the Soul Reapers can defeat them"_

He then heard a groan and turned around to see Katsurou open his eyes.

"Master"

"Kuroi, you're back"

"Yes. During our battle, I regained my memories of you and when you defeated me, I could return"

"I'm glad you're back"

"So am I"

Then, they both felt strong spiritual pressures from outside.

"What's going on out there Kuroi"

"The others are here and the Soul Reapers are fighting them"

Kuroi could then see how Katsurou tried to get up from the bed and placed his hand on his chest.

"Master, you shouldn't strain yourself. You need to rest some more so your injuries from our battle can heal"

"But..."

"Listen to your Zanpakutō, Suro"

The two turned their head to the door and saw Sajin stand there.

"Have faith in the others. They will find a way to defeat the Zanpakutō"

As the wolf captain sat down, Kuroi remembered what Retsu had told him and walked out of the room for a short moment, returning with the captain.

"Good to see you're awake lieutenant Ukitake"

She placed her hand over his chest and let her healing Kidō flow through him.

"You were lucky your injuries weren't worse than this. A bit worse and I would have to put you on bed rest for at least two weeks.

-But if you rest a bit more, I'd say you'll be up on your feet in no time"

"Thank you captain"

She gave him one of her signature sweet smiles and left the room.

With some help from Kuroi, Katsurou managed to sit up with his back against the headboard of the bed. He then turned to look at his friend.

"I'm glad to see you're awake and walking around Sajin. You took quite a hit back at the hill that night"

"You need more than Tenken to take me down"

"You're right"

 _ **The two friends talked for a while and soon, morning came.**_

The sun had rose outside and a while later, Jūshirō came in along with Shunsui and Yoruichi.

"Dad, Shunsui, Mrs Yoruichi"

"Good to see you're awake Suro, said Jūshirō"

"How are you, Shunsui asked"

"Captain Unohana said I just need a bit more rest"

The two captains nodded before all three turned to Kuroi.

"Kuroi Ōkami can I ask you a few things, Yoruichi asked"

"Of course Mrs Shihōin"

"Did you and the other Zanpakutō live somewhere outside the Seireitei?"

"Yes. In a cave well hidden in the forest"

"Is the head-captain there?"

"Yes. He's being guarded by Minazuki, Katen Kyōkotsu and Sōgyo No Kotowari since they are the strongest out of all of us"

"Could you take us to that place, Shunsui asked"

"Of course, I'd be glad to help after all trouble I caused.

-If there are any one else besides you three, tell them to meet me outside the barracks as soon as possible"

"We'll do, said Yoruichi"

The three then left the room and Kuroi turned to his master.

"I'll be back as soon as I can, Master"

"Don't worry Kuroi. Help the others in their mission to free the head-captain"

"I will"

 **Kuroi left his master's room and walked outside the barracks were he waited.**

After a while came Jūshirō, Shunsui, Yoruichi along with Ichigo, Kenpachi and Yachiru.

"Is this everyone?"

"Yes, said Jūshirō"

"Follow me then"

Kuroi changed into his wolf form and started to run with the others Flash Stepping behind him.

Once they entered the forest, Kuroi stopped running and started to walk instead.

"Why did you stop running, Ichigo asked"

"Because we're close"

They kept walking until Kuroi stopped outside a cave.

"Here it is. This is were we Zanpakutō stayed between our attacks on the Seireitei"

"I can sense a strong spiritual pressure from there, said Yoruichi"

"It's definitely old-man Yama, said Shunsui"

"Is there anyone left in there, Ichigo asked"

"Yes, said Kuroi

-Kazeshini, Tenken, Gonryōmaru, Haineko, Tobiume, Minazuki, Katen Kyōkotsu and Sōgyo No Kotowari are the eight that are still under Muramasa's mind control"

"Thank you for the help Kuroi, you can return to the Seireitei, said Jūshirō"

"Right. Be careful everyone"

 **The wolf ran back to the 4th division and changed back into his human form.**

"Oh welcome back Kuroi Ōkami"

"Thank you Mrs Unohana"

"I take it that you led the others safely to the location were the head-captain is"

"Yes. They told me to come back here once we reached the cave"

"I see"

"I my master still talking with Sajin?"

"No. I sent captain Komamura to his room and told both of them to rest"

"I understand"

"But Katsurou's injuries are much better after I healed him again so he should be able to leave either later today or tomorrow"

"That's great to hear"

Kuroi then walked to his master's room and sat down on the chair.

 _ **A few hours later.**_

Retsu was checking Katsurou's injuries and a smile appeared on her face.

"I'm glad to say Katsurou that your injuries has healed enough for you to leave"

"That's good to hear. I want to help the others some more now when I have Kuroi back"

Retsu smilled at him before she left.

Renji appeared in the door a moment later along with Sajin who was dressed in his uniform.

"Katsurou are you well enough to fight, Renji asked"

"Yeah"

"Come on then. Captain Hitsugaya sent a message telling all able fighters to go to the world of the living"

"The world of the living?"

"Apparently that's were Muramasa went"

"I see

-Let's go Kuroi"

"You boy go to the Senkaimon and wait for me there"

"Right Captain Komamura!"

The two lieutenants, Zabimaru and Kuroi all went to the Senkaimon were they found Tōshirō, Ikkaku, Yumichika, SoiFon, Rangiku and Momo.

Sajin came a short while later along with Omaeda and Izuru. All three had their Zanpakutō with them as well as Sode No Shirayuki.

"I everyone ready to go, Tōshirō asked"

"Yes sir!"

 _ **They all entered the gate and appeared above a lake a bit from Karakura Town were they found Ichigo and his friends as well as Byakuya and SenbonZakura.**_

 _ **They were trying to fight against multiple Gillians.**_

"Sorry it took us so long, said Renji"

What's going on, said Uryu

-Weren't the Zanpakutō rebelling against them?"

"Please explain Sode No Shirayuki, said Rukia."

"Captain Kurotsuchi is responsible, he reversed the mind control that ruled us, said Sode No Shirayuki."

"That explains everything, said Haineko"

"We apologize for the trouble we may have cause, said Tobiume

-We're here to help"

All Zanpakutō then released their shikai forms and everyone attacked the Gillians.

Hey you should let your master mouth an attack before you charge in, shouted Ikkaku"

"You think you could do any better, let's see it then, said Hōzukimaru"

One of the Gillians started to charge up a Cero and aimed it towards Rukia and the others. But SoiFon cut its head so the Cero was aimed upwards.

"We can't let a job like this be handled by those hot-blodded Zanpakutō"

"Thanks a lot for helping us, said Chad"

"Helping you is not at all my intention. I have to do my job whether you're here or not."

She then moved towards the dome at the middle of the lake and activated Shunkō but Uryu blocked her path by firing a stream of arrows.

"You'll pay for that, said SoiFon"

"Calm down captain SoiFon, I'm sure he has a good reason for doing that"

Katsurou and Kuroi appeared above them. Rukia looked up at her lieutenant and he smiled at her.

"Your reckless attack could have cause major damage to this town, said Uryu"

"Ichigo is trapped inside that thing, he could get hurt, said Orihime"

"I don't care, said SoiFon.

-The only thing I need to do is get rid of it. I won't let you interfier"

"Please don't do it, said Rukia"

"Enough, said a voice."

Tōshirō then appeared next to SoiFon.

"We can not focus on fighting each other right now, he said.

-Instead we must defeat these Hollows"

"Have it your way, said SoiFon before she used Flash Step to move away"

"What now captain Hitsugaya, said Rukia"

"There's not much time, we should start searching for Ichigo's spiritual pressure"

He and Katsurou then moved away with Flash Step as well.

 _ **The three of them attacked some of Gillians before more of them started to advance.**_

"Alright you two, we'll have to take care of all the Hollows that are here, said Tōshirō.

-Are you ready?"

"I'm ready sir, said Katsurou."

"Let's do it, said SoiFon"

All three then went towards the Gillians before Katsurou saw Omaeda and Gegetsuburi argue a bit away so he and Kuroi sent their wolves right into two Gillians behind them.

"This is not the time to fight each other, we should focus on the Hollows"

Suddenly, a wave of energy destroyed the other Gillians around them. The lieutenants looked to the side and saw Sajin with Kokujō Tengen Myō'ō behind him.

"Nice hit captain Komamura, said Katsurou"

"Thank you lieutenant Ukitake.

-Lieutenant Omaeda stop wasting time, I'll take care of this myself. But can you at least do me the favor of staying out of my way"

"Yes sir, sorry about that, said Omaeda"

They kept fighting for a while until they saw how the tear in the sky that the Gillians were coming from got bigger.

"Damn they just keep coming and coming, said Ikkaku"

"I'm going in, said Hōzukimaru"

"Going, where?"

"Into that opening, if I seal it that should help, right"

"Are you an idiot? How the hell are you gonna seal something that big?"

The tear grew more and the faces of Gillians was seen coming from it. Everyone got ready to fight some more when suddenly, two streams of blade petals surged around the edges of the tear.

Everyone looked up and saw Byakuya and SenbonZakura were the ones who directed the petals while both glowed with white spirit energy.

"What spiritual pressure, said Ruri'iro Kujaku"

"In his weak condition, said Izuru"

"Were is that power coming from, said Omaeda"

"He's using his spirit energy to force them back, said SoiFon"

"This is reckless, said Tōshirō"

"Will he be able to pull it off, asked Renji"

"It might be possible with immense amount of spirit energy

Everyone looked at Byakuya as he kept trying to push them back when the Gillians roared.

Ikkaku and Hōzukimaru then glowed with red spirit energy.

Yumichika and Ruri'iro Kujaku glowed with green.

Rangiku and Haineko glowed white.

Momo and Tobiume glowed red.

Omaeda and Gegetsuburi glowed pink.

Katsurou and Kuroi glowed light blue.

Tōshirō and Hyōrinmaru glowed white.

SoiFon and Suzumebachi glowed yellow.

Sajin, Kokujō Tengen Myō'ō, Renji, Saru, and Hebi glowed red.

 _ **Columns of pink, yellow, green, blue, white and red spirit energy then extended towards the sky and the Gillians roared in pain.**_

Tōshirō then activated his Bankai and sent an ice dragon past several Gillians, freezing them in the process.

SoiFon and Suzumebachi stabbed two Gillians.

Renji activated his Bankai and Hihiō Zabimaru crashed throught several Gillians.

Kokujō Tengen Myō'ō bifurcates several Gillians.

Katsurou also activated his Bankai and created a giant wolf made out of shadows who's howl destroyed some Gillians.

Their spirit energy then increased and they managed to make the Gillians retreat and close the tear.

We did it, said SoiFon"

"We did, said Tōshirō

-Alright everyone let's take care of the rest"

"Right"

Everyone then moved to take care of the remaining Gillians.

Once all of them were take care off, they looked at the dome as it somehow expanded. It then cracked and a strong blue light shone from it. Soon it died down.

They saw Ichigo on the island in the middle of the lake. Muramasa was laying on the ground in front of him and soon, Muramasa turned to his sword form and it broke into two.

The Soul Reapers then all landed on the ground and their Zanpakutō glowed before they disappeared back into their swords.

"Let's go home, we're done here, said Sajin"

The others nodded in agreement and they opened a Senkaimon for them to return home.

Head-captain Yamamoto, Sasakibe, Retsu, Isane, Iba, Shunsui, Nanao, Shūhei, Kenpachi, Yachiru, Mayrui, Nemu and Jūshirō were all waiting for them by the gate.

"Welcome back everyone"

"Thank you sir!"

"I take it that Muramasa is gone"

"Yes sir, Ichigo defeated him, said Tōshirō"

"And Kōga?"

"Dead sir, Byakuya defeated him, said Rukia"

The head-captain turned to look at the nobleman.

"Byakuya Kuchiki, is that true?"

"Yes sir"

Byakuya then got down on one knee and bowed his head.

"Years ago when I succeeded my grandfather as the Kuchiki family head, I was told everything about Kōga. It became my duty to finish him off if he ever would break free from his seal"

"Why didn't you tell anyone of us?"

"It was all for the sake of learning where Kōga had been sealed away.

-In order for us to get the information from Muramasa, SenbonZakura kept acting like he was still under his control. It wasn't easy so I stayed by Muramasa's side"

"Even if it meant that we would thing you betrayed us, said Shunsui"

"Yes.

-I'm ready to take full responsibility for my actions, Head-captain"

Yamamoto looked at the man before sighing.

"Since your actions led to the defeat of Kōga Kuchiki, I will not punish you for your actions.

-Tomorrow, I want to see you back in the 6th division barracks with your Haori"

"Of course"

 _ **And so, the Zanpakutō rebellion came to an end with the Soul Reapers getting their sword spirits back and after that, they all made sure they treated their Zanpakutō in a way they would be pleased with.**_


	31. Extra 1: Grandson

_**(So this will be chapters based around parts of Katsurou's story but from other characters point of view)**_

 _ **The first being Ukitake's story from the day he is told he'll be a grandfather to the day he meets his grandson for the first time.**_

It was a nice day and I was feeding the Koi in the pond around Ugendō when Katsurou and Hana came walking.

"Dad"

I couldn't help but notice that they both seemed really happy.

"Katsurou, Hana. You look very happy today both of you"

"Well, we got something we wanted to tell you"

"What is that?"

"Well..."

My son looked at his wife and took her hand before looking at me.

"You're going to be a grandfather"

I felt my eyes widen in surprise as he said that.

"Are you saying that..."

"Yes. Hana is pregnant"

I looked between the two for a moment before smiling.

"Congratulations both of you"

"Thank you Jūshirō"

I nodded at Hana before turning to Suro.

"I'm really happy for you my son"

"Thanks dad. I have to say I'm a little nervouse actually"

"Don't worry Suro. You'll be a great father and I'll be here if you ever need help"

"Thanks"

 _ **A few days later.**_

Suro and Hana had taken the day off to visit Hana's family and tell them the news.

I myself decided to visit the first division.

Since Shunsui became head-captain, we didn't see each other as much as we used to but his lieutenants were kind enough to make sure we could spend at least two hours a day together.

"So Suro took the day off huh"

"Yes. He and Hana are visiting her family in Rukongai"

"Any special reason to why they decided to do that?"

I looked at my best friend and realized that I probably shouldn't have mentioned it in case they wanted to tell people the happy news themselves.

"Come on old friend, tell me"

I sighed and decided that Shunsui should be okay to tell it to.

"You see, Suro and Hana are visiting her family to tell them some good news"

"Which is...?"

"They're going to have a baby"

"You mean... Suro is gonna be a father?"

"Yes. They told me a few days ago"

Shunsui smiled before he gave me a hard slap on the back which almost made me lose my breath.

" _Good for you Shun that I'm not sick anymore or that could have been bad"_

"That means you'll be a grandfather"

"Yes. I actually couldn't believe it at first but now when it's been a few days and I've processed the news, I'm actually looking forward to it"

My old friend chuckled and gave me his signature smirk.

 **Time flew by and it had soon been four months since I was told that I was going to be a grandfather.**

I was on my way home after a meeting that had been longer that usual due to Kenpachi and Mayuri arguing over every little thing.

When I reached the house, I walked in and found Suro and Hana in the living room.

"Hey, welcome home Dad"

"Thank you"

I sat down with them and took off my Haori.

"That meeting took longer time than I expected"

"Kenpachi and Mayuri argued over everything we talked about so it took time because we had to keep them away from wach other all the time"

A maid then came and told us that dinner was ready so we got up and walked into the room were they food had been put up for us.

"So what have you two done today?"

"We've been trying to come up with names for the baby, said Hana"

"Can I asked what you came up with?"

"If it's a boy, his name will either be Hikaru, Daisuke, Isamu or Ken'ichi"

"And if it's a girl, her name will be Haruka, Miyako, Yuki or Hosiko, said Katsurou"

I went through the meaning of all the names in my head and no matter which name they picked, it would be a perfect name.

"That's all great names"

 **The following month, Suro was assigned a mission were he was going to be stationed in the world of the living for two weeks.**

It was early evening when I came home and after I had changed my uniform to a Yukata, I walked outside were I found Hana on the porch.

"Hello Hana"

"Oh, welcome home Jūshirō"

I smiled and sat down next to her.

"Is there something on your mind?"

"I was just thinking about Katsurou's mission. It sounded like pretty big Hollows"

"If you're worried he'll get hurt, you don't have to be. A few Hollows are nothing after everything he's been up against the past years"

"I guess you're right"

She then placed a hand on her stomach.

"I hope our child will be as strong as their father"

"I'm sure they will"

 _ **A few days later, Suro returned home.**_

We were having dinner together and Suro was talking about his time in the world of the living.

"There is actually something I wanted to talk with you two about"

"What is it Suro?"

"When I was walking around in Karakura one day, I heard a couple talking about something called godparents. I got curious and asked Ichigo about it.

-He said it's a person that parents choose to take care of their child if anything were to happen to them"

"Oh, that's sound like a good idea, said Hana"

"I thought so too and I wanted to ask if you want us to pick someone to be our child's godparent"

"Why not. Do you have someone in mind?"

"I was thinking Shūhei. He's been my best friend since our days at the academy and he's almost like a brother to me. I would trust him with my life."

"I thought you'd suggest him, I said"

"I like it, said Hana.

-I know how close the two of you are and I think he'd be a great choice"

"I'm glad you think so"

 _ **December 15.**_

Snow had fallen in the Seireitei making it very cold so all Soul Reapers had been giver thicker uniforms so the wouldn't get sick.

I was sitting in my office finishing up some paperwork when Sentarō came in.

"Something the matter Sentarō?"

"Well, during the training of the new recruits, a Hell Butterfly came and the lieutenants left me to finish things"

"He just left?"

"Yes sir. It seemed important"

" _Couldn't it be?"_

Hana hadn't been feeling that well this morning when Suro and I got ready to leave for work. He had offered to stay with her but she said she would go see captain Kotetsu.

Then, a Hell Butterfly came and I let it land on my hand.

The message was from captain Kotetsu, saying that Suro and Hana were at the 4th.

" _I guess that means someone has arrived"_

I let the butterfly fly away and stood up from my desk.

"Sentarō tell Rukia she's in chrage for a few hours"

"Yes sir"

I left the barracks and made my way to the 4th were I meet Kiyone.

"Oh captain Ukitake"

"Hello Kiyone"

"Are you here to see Katsurou and Hana?"

"Yes. Your sister sent me a message that said they were here"

"Come with me then. I'll take you to them"

"Thank you"

I followed her until she stopped outside a room.

"Here we are.

-I have to return to my work now"

"I understand. Thank you Kiyone"

She nodded before walking away and I turned to the door, giving it a gentle knock before entering.

When I walked in, I saw Hana leaning again some pillows and my son was sitting on the bedside with their child in his arms.

"Dad, you're here"

"Sentarō told me that a Hell Butterfly came and that you left him to continue the training with the recruits very sudden. Then I got a message from captain Kotetsu that said you two were here.

-So I figured that someone had arrived.

I then walked closer and smiled when I looked down at my grandchild.

"Dad, meet your grandson"

I looked at Suro before I lifted my hand to gently stroke the baby's cheek.

"Congratulations"

"Thanks dad.

-Do you want to hold him?"

"If it's okay"

"Of course"

Suro stood up and placed his son in my arms.

My grandson then opened his eyes and looked up at me with the same brown eyes as his father.

 _"I wonder if this is how Suro would have looked as a baby"_

At first I thought he was gonna cry but he just looked at me with curiosity.

"So have you decided on what name to give him?"

"Our top favorite boy name was Hikaru, said Hana

-Do you think that should be his name, dear?"

"Yes. He is after all a small glimps of light after everything dark that happened during the war"

I looked at them and nodded. It was a perfect name.

I then sat down on the chair in the room and looked at Hikaru.

"Hi little Hikaru. I'm your grandfather"

 **After a while.**

Hikaru started to get a little fussy so I handed him over to his mother.

"Hana I wanted to ask, why didn't you call me sooner, said Suro"

Hana looked at him and then down at Hikaru.

"It all went so fast that I didn't have the time.

-I came here earlier like I said and everything was fine according to the captain. But when I was about to leave, I started to feel pain in and my stomach and..."

"You went into labor"

"Yes. The captain and a few others took me to a room and before I knew it, he was here"

"I understand"

Suro kissed the top of Hana's head and I couldn't help but smile. I was so happy for my son.

I then stood up from the chair.

"I have to get back. I don't want to leave Rukia in charge for too long"

"I should probably go back as well"

"Suro, you can take the rest of the day off and be with your familiy.

-I'll see you at home tonight"

Suro looked at me in surprise before smiling.

"Thanks dad"

"No problem"

I hugged the two of them congratulated them again before leaving.


	32. Extra 2: Our friendship

_(Byakuya reflects on his friendship with Katsurou from their first meeting until Katsurou was promoted to captain)_

 _ **Even thought it has been many years since then, I still remember the day I first meet Katsurou.**_

I was sitting in my room when a servant came and told me that my grandfather wanted me to joing him and two guests for some tea.

I got up and followed him to the room were my grandfather was. He was sitting at the table and opposite him sat captain Ukitake along with a boy.

"You wanted to see me grandfather"

"Ah yes Byakuya. Come sit with us"

I walked over to the table and sat down next to my grandfather.

"Byakuya, you already know Captain Ukitake"

"Hello Byakuya"

"Nice to meet you again sir"

I then looked at the boy next to him.

He seemed a bit younger than me but not by much. He had black hair that reached his shoulder and brown eyes.

He also seemed a bit shy since he looked away as soon as I made eye contact with him.

"Who are you?"

"My name is Katsurou"

"He's captain Ukitake's son, grandfather said"

A servant then came with tea that we drank in silence until grandfather turned to me.

"Byakuya why don't you take Katsurou and play in the garden"

"Play?"

"That's a good idea Ginrei, said captain Ukitake

-Why don't you teach Byakuya that game you always play with your uncles, Katsurou"

"Okay"

We both got up and walked out to the garden.

"So what is this game?"

"It's called tag. You have to chase me and try to touch me. When you do that, I have to chase you"

I didn't really understand what could be so fun about that but when Katsurou started to run, I ran after him.

I chased him around the garden until I managed to touch his arm and ran away since he was now the one chasing me.

The game was actually more fun than I thought and I actually laughed as I ran away from him.

When we had played for a while, we sat down by the pond and looked at the Koi fishes until captain Ukitake and grandfather came up to us.

"It's time to go Suro"

"Okay"

Katsurou got up and stood next to his father.

"It was nice having you here Ukitake"

"It was. Thank you for inviting us captain Kuchiki"

"And you young Katsurou"

"Yes sir?"

"Feel free to come back and play with Byakuya again"

"Really?"

"Yes. You would like that too, right Byakuya?"

"Yes grandfather. I had really fun Katsurou"

"I had fun too"

Then, the two left.

 _ **Katsurou came by the manor quite often after that and we played a lot.**_

 _ **Years later, I started to practice kendo and captain Ukitake allowed Katsurou to take a few lessons as well.**_

This day, we were just sitting outside in the garden since our teacher wasn't at the estate.

"Hey Byakuya"

"Yes."

"I've always wondered, why do always get so angry when Mrs Yoruichi shows up?"

"Because that cat monster don't know how to respect personal space"

I heard my friend giggle and turned to him.

"What's so funny?"

"The way you call her cat monster despite her just transforming into a normal cat"

"Maybe you like her because she's not invading your personal space that much or steals a hair tie"

"Well, you do get some good training out of it"

"You're right about that.

-By the way, why haven't she taught you anything?"

"Well, since my family is not among the great noble clans, we don't really have a personal tutor like you so I'll probably attend the academy just like dad did"

"The academy huh. Well, at least you get a bit of training here with me if you're having kendo class at the academy"

"Yeah"

 _ **Some years later, Katsurou had made it into the academy which meant that I we wouldn't see each other as often. I had meanwhile taken over as the head of the Kuchiki clan.**_

I was sitting in my room looking through some papers when a servant came.

"Excuse me Lord Byakuya but a letter adressed to you just arrived"

"Who is it from?"

"Katsurou Ukitake"

I turned around to look at man.

Katsurou had left for the academy about three weeks ago so this would be the first time I heard anything from him.

"Give it to me"

The servant gave me the letter before I dismissed him.

Once he was gone, I opened the envelope and took out the letter.

 _Byakuya._

 _I hope everything is going well for you since I heard you became the new head of your clan._

 _As for me, I'm having a good time here at the academy. I was placed in the advanced class due to my test scores and that kendo practice we did together paid off since the other students are impressed by my skills._

 _I actually meet a really nice guy in my class named Shūhei Hisagi. He saved me when a few older students began to punch me due to a rumor that I got into the academy due to my father._

 _He and I have become good friends but you don't need to worry, I will still remember our friendship._

 _I'll make sure to try and come to the Kuchiki manor when I have a day off. Until then, take care_

 _Your friend Katsurou._

I was glad to hear that Katsurou was doing well at the academy but I couldn't help but feel slight anger towards the students who had spread that rumor and attacked him.

But it was a relief to hear he had found someone who had helped him and who he could call a friend.

I then picked up an empty piece of paper and began to write.

 _Katsurou._

 _Everything is fine with me. Adjusting to my position as clan head was hard at first but it is what I've been trained for since we were young so I'm fine with it now._

 _I'm glad to hear our kendo training is a help for you during your classes and that you have found a friend among the students._

 _Don't listen to those older students and that rumor since we both know you came in due to the entrance exam and not your father._

 _I'll look forward to see you when you come back and to hear what the academy is like._

 _Do your best over there._

 _Byakuya._

 _ **Katsurou kept his promise and visited on his day off and he his new friend Shūhei with him. They told me what the academy was like and I also thanked Shūhei for being there for my friend.**_

 _ **I kept getting letters every once in a while and Katsurou visited on his days off.**_

It had been two months since Katsurou began his second year at the academy and I had meet a woman named Hisana who I now was engaged to.

One day, I was on my way back to the manor after meeting with the leader of another clan when I saw Shūhei.

" _Shouldn't he be at the academy?_

 _-_ Hisagi"

"Oh Lord Kuchiki"

"What brings you here? Shouldn't you be at the academy?"

"Well, you see, Suro got injured during training so our teacher asked me to take him to Captain Unohana"

"What happened?"

"We second years were having joined training with the 4th years. Suro ended up against the guy who bullied him last year. It was a fair fight until he knocked the sword out of Suro's hand and then slashed him very deep across the back"

"I see"

I then turned to one of my escorts.

"Please make sure he gets back to the academy"

"Yes sir"

"Thank you Lord Kuchiki"

I simply nodded and made my way home were Hisana waited for me.

"Welcome home Byakuya"

"Thank you Hisana"

"Is something the matter?"

"Why do you ask?"

"I can see in your eyes that there is something bothering you"

"Well, do you remember my friend I've told you about?"

"If you mean Katsurou then yes"

"I meet a classmate of his on my way home.

-Katsurou had been injured during training and is now at the 4th division"

"That's terrible but I'm sure he'll be fine, captain Unohana is the best healer in the Seireitei"

"You're right"

 _ **I got word from Captain Ukitake the next morning, telling me that Katsurou was fine and just needed to rest to his injury could heal.**_

 _ **I visited him when he was back at the Ukitake estate and I had Hisana with me so she could meet my closest friend.**_

 _ **After that incident, the student who bullied Katsurou was expelled and his final four years at the academy was calm. He graduated at the top of his class and joined his father's division.**_

 _ **Around the same time, my dear Hisana passed away from an illness. I didn't know what to do and needed someone to talk with so I sent a message to Katsurou, the one person I could talk to.**_

I stood under a plum tree in the garden when he arrived.

"You got here fast"

"I was taught not to let high nobility wait for too long, even if that noble happens to be a friend"

I actually chuckled a bit at that. While I didn't show much emotions around others, Katsurou was an exception since he and I had know each other for a long time.

We then started to walk around the garden.

"I'm sorry to hear about Hisana. I never expected her condition to get that bad"

"Neither did I"

I looked away and in the corner of my eye, I could see Katsurou look at me.

"Is there something on your mind, Byakuya?"

"Hisana wanted me to look for her younger sister and if I find her, take her in as a part of the Kuchiki family"

"Will your elders allow that? I remember dad telling me that they were pretty mad when you decided to marry Hisana because she was from Rukongai"

"If I find her, they will probably act the same way as back then. Letting someone from Rukongai into a noble family would tarnish the family name"

"That's funny"

"What is?"

"You know about my past. I'm originally from Rukongai but nothing has happened to the Ukitake family.

-I guess that's because we're lower aristocrats and not one of the Four Great Noble clans like you"

"Maybe so"

We then stopped on a bridge and looked down at the giant koi fishes.

"So what will you do?"

"I gave Hisana my word that I would find her sister and adopt her into the clan as **my** younger sister"

Byakuya then looked at Katsurou.

"What would you have done?"

"Well, I would probably hold what I promised.

-Even though it goes against the law or tarnish your family name, you're honoring your wife's last wish. It would be the right thing to do"

"Would you ever do something like that?"

"If it was my father's last wish, I would anything to honor it"

"I see.

-Thank you Katsurou. I'm grateful for your advice"

"That's what a friend is for"

Katsurou placed his hand on Byakuya's shoulder.

"I'll always be here to listen if something bothers you and I'll do my best to help.

-Besides, I think I know were may find Hisana's sister"

"Were?"

"At the academy. I noticed this girl that was among the first years and she looked a lot like Hisana"

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. So try looking there and see if it's her"

 _ **I took his advice and it was indeed Hisana's sister Rukia that he had seen at the academy. I adopted her into the family and a few years later after I had become the 6th division captain, I placed her in the 13th and asked Katsurou to keep an eye on her for me.**_

 _ **Their lieutenant, Kaien Shiba passed away some yeas later and Katsurou took over the position.**_

It had now been 40 years since the passing of lieutenant Shiba and Rukia was due to return from a month long mission in the world of the living.

When she didn't come back on that day, I decided to call Katsurou to the 6th the next day and ask him what had happened.

""You wanted to see me captain Kuchiki"

"I did. Come in lieutenant"

He walked into my office and closed the door.

"Rukia was supposed to return from her mission yesterday. Why didn't she show up?"

"I'm not sure. Maybe there was a problem with the gate and it will take a few days for her to solve"

"I see"

When Rukia hadn't returned in another month, my lieutenant Renji and I were sent to the world of the living to arrest her.

A few days after bringing her back, the human she had given her powers too along with his friends came to the Soul Society and created chaos in the Seireitei.

The crisis was solved on the day of Rukia's execution were she was saved and it was revealed that captains Aizen, Ichimaru and Tōsen were traitors.

I was recovering at the 4th from the wounds I had gotten in my battle with Ichigo Kurosaki when Katsurou came.

"Why are you here?"

"Is it wrong for me to come and see how my friend is feeling?"

"It's not"

"I also want to apologize for what I said the other day. I didn't mean to yell at you like I did"

"Don't apologize. I understand why you did it and you were right.

-I should have at least tried to have the verdict changed to something more fitting of Rukia's crime"

He smiled at me and sat down on the chair next to my bed. We talked a bit and I was happy that my friend had forgiven my actions during the past days.

 _ **Once I had recovered, I taught Katsurou how to use Utsusemi since I thought it would be useful in the upcoming battle with Aizen.**_

 _ **When the day came, I was sent to Hueco Mundo along with Zaraki, Unohana and Kurotsuchi to help Ichigo while the others entered the battle in Karakura Town.**_

 _ **We won but at the prize of Ichigo Kurosaki losing his powers as a Soul Reaper. But 17 months later, the head-captain agree to use a sword filled with the spirit energy of all captains and lieutenants to restore his powers.**_

"I heard you had to fight the Fullbringer who could put himself into your past"

I looked at Katsurou as he took a sip of his tea.

"I did"

"What was it like?"

"It's hard to describe but he put himself into my meory as the one who helped me develop SenbonZakura's different techniques"

"At least you didn't fall for it as much as Ichigo's friends did"

"He may have placed himself into my memories but no matter what role he took in my life, he was an enemy of Ichigo Kurosaki"

"Seems to me that you've started to see Ichigo as a friend"

"Don't be a fool Katsurou"

He started laughing at that.

"I'm glad however that he didn't mess with the memories I have of our time together since our friendship is special to me"

"It is?"

"Yes, you may have Hisagi and the lieutenants as well as Captain Komamura as your friends but you are the only person I see as my friend

-You've always been there when I needed someone to talk to and you are the only one I can show my true emotions too"

"I'm glad that our friendship means that much to you Byakuya"

"It does"

We both smiled at each other

 _ **The peace didn't last for long since the Seireitei was invaded by Quincies. I almost died fighting one of them who stole my Bankai and I was sent to recover at the Soul Palace.**_

 _ **Down in the Seireitei, everyone else was figting and once I had recovered and regained my strength, I too went to join the battle.**_

I had just joined up with Rukia and we found a group of some other Soul Reapers.

"Good to see you're okay, Byakuya, said Katsurou"

"Thank you"

I was glad as well to see that my friend was still standing.

As we tried to help Ichigo, we entered a battle with a group of Quincies that seperated us all.

I had defeated three of them when Katsurou came running.

"What's the matter Katsurou?"

"The Sternritter Shūhei and I ended up against took control of him somehow"

"What?"

"I managed to bind him but it's not gonna hold forever. I assume they'll follow me here"

"I see"

Hisagi then appeared and started to attack us.

"Activate your Shikai, Katsurou"

"You got it"

"Scatter SenbonZakura"

"Howl towards the Shining moon, Kuroi Ōkami"

"Let's try to knock him out, that should be enough for that Quincy's control to vanish"

"Okay"

We fought Hisagi and managed to knock him out. It was then, the Quincy who controlled him appeared and he aimed a heart shaped beam at us.

"Byakuya don't let that hit you, that's how he takes control of people!"

We dodged it and landed on two pieces of rubble.

"Any ideas Katsurou?"

"I'm trying to think"

He then seemed to get an idea.

"Byakuya, surround my wolves in your blades"

I looked at him as he said that. It was a move we had tried to develop together for a while now so it wouldn't hurt to try it out since we were almost done completing it.

"That is not a bad idea"

"Let's go then"

Katsurou summoned his wolves and ordered them to attack before I surrounded them with SenbonZakura's blades.

"Sakura no Koi Ōkami!"

The attack worked but the Quincy entered a new form and tried to use his "Love" powers on us but we defeated him with a combined Sōkatsui.

 _ **We were then summoned by Kisuke Urahara to the 12th division were we were told that we would break into the Soul Palace to help Ichigo.**_

 _ **However, the earth started to shake, a sign that the Soul King had been killed. It was then Ukitake stepped forward and used the powers of a fallen god called Mimihagi to stabilize everything.**_

As we were fixing the gate to the Soul Palace, I looked towards Katsurou and even though he seemed calm, I could tell that he was trying to be strong in front of us.

I felt sorry for my friend.

Ukitake was his father, the man who took him from the horrible streets of Rukongai and gave him a better life. I knew how much he meant for Katsurou so this must be very hard for him.

As the others worked, I walked over to him and took him to the side so we could talk.

"You okay Katsurou?"

"What do you think Byakuya... I just saw my father give his own life because of the Quincies killing the Soul King"

I looked at him and sadness was very much present in his normaly cheerful brown eyes.

"I know how you feel Katsurou. Remember that I too have lost my father"

"That was before you and I even meet. It's different since you were a kid back them"

He was right that the case with my father was different but it was still a similar pain to what he must be feeling now.

I placed my hands on his shoulders.

"I know that my father's passing is different but still, the pain you're going through right now, I had to go through myself.

-I know it's not easy but..."

I didn't have time to finish since Urahara yelled at us to join them at the finished gate.

 _ **When we reached the palace, I didn't notice that Katsurou took a different way from the rest of us until I sensed his spiritual pressure increase, a sign that he had entered Bankai.**_

 _ **It's not that I was worried since I knew how strong he is but in the state he was in, I was afraid his emotions would get the better of him.**_

 _ **Not long after that, we won the war since Ichigo defeated the Quincy king.**_

I was in the 4th division with captain Hitsugaya to have our injuries healed. Captain Zaraki had been taken away since he needed more healing than us.

Once my injuries had been healed, I meet Rukia who told me that Katsurou had used a powerful healing kidō on Ukitake to revive him.

I knew Katsurou was at the level of a captain with his powers but I never thought he was strong enough to do something like that.

 _ **A few weeks later.**_

Katsurou had recovered from his injuries and come back to his job as lieutenant a few days ago and I had invited him to the manor.

"It's been a while since we just sat down like this"

"You're right.

-So, how does it feel to be back?"

"I'm glad I decided to come back to work. Dad will be fine at the 4th without me being there"

"How is he?"

"He's getting stronger every day. Once he can walk without help, he can go home"

"I'm happy for you Katsurou. You found a way to bring him back before it was too late"

"It was close though. Had I arrived about half an hour later, it wouldn't have worked since that Kidō do have a limit when it comes to how long a person has been at the brink of death"

"I see.

-I also heard you've gotten your true Bankai"

"Yes. Kuroi revealed to me back at the palace that the Bankai I've had until that point was only half his powers and he told me the name of my true Bankai so I could use it"

"Sounds to me that you have to train to master it again"

"I sure do. When I used a weapon similar to Shūhei's Shikai, I didn't know how to fully use it and I almost attacked myself when I pulled it back to me"

I chuckled slightly at that.

"Well, if you need help, you know were to find me"

"Thanks Byakuya"

 _ **Some time later, Katsurou meet a woman by the name of Hana who he had fallen in love with. The two started dating and a few months later, they got married and had a son a year and a half later followed by a daughter five years after that.**_

It had now been 30 years since the end of the war and during a meeting, captain Ukitake announced that he would retire.

This was an opportunity for Katsurou to be promoted.

I was on my way to the head-captain to recommend him when I meet captain Hitsugaya on his way from the head-captain's office.

"Ah Kuchiki, are you going to see the head-captain?"

"I wanted to give my personal recommendation for lieutenant Ukitake to take over his father's position as captain"

"No need for that since I've already done it"

"You have?"

"Yes. He deserves it and since I wasn't sure anyone else would do it, I recommended him"

"I see.

-Then there's no need for me to do it"

 _ **Almost two weeks later, we were gathered at the 1st division to welcome the new captain.**_

 _ **When the doors opened and Katsurou stepped in, I felt happy for him. He was an excellent choice for the position and I knew he would to a good job.**_

 _My friendship with Katsurou means a lot to me since we've been friends since we were very young and he was my first friend. When I'm around him, I feel that I can relax and show my true feelings._

 _He's been there to listen when I've been troubled and given me advice on what do to in those situations._

 _I hadn't done that nearly as many times but I know that if he ever need my help then I'll be there to listen and help him._


	33. Extra 3: A friend is saved

_(Shunsui recieves the news about his best friend surviving the war)_

 _ **The war was finally over and we once again had Ichigo to thank for our victory.**_

Nanao and I were at the 4th division were I was getting my injuries healed.

While they had managed to heal the wounds from the Quincy, I still needed to have bandages wrapped around my foot, shoulder and chest.

"I wonder how many made it through the battle"

"We'll just have to wait and see, Nanao"

"Yes sir"

Kiyone then appeared in the doorway.

"Head-captain sir"

"What is it Kiyone?"

"Sis thought you'd like to know that borh captain and lieutenant Ukitake will make full recoveries"

"That's good to hear. Not that I was worried about..."

I then realized that she had said captain AND lieutenant.

"Kiyone what did you mean with both of them?"

"The lieutenant somehow saved the captain's life by using this really powerful healing kidō"

 _ **I couldn't believe my ears at first. My best friend who I thought was dead was alive.**_

"Were is your sister?"

"I'm right here"

Behind Kiyone came her sister.

"I wanted to see if Kiyone had told you the good news about captain and lieutenant Ukitake"

"Is it really true that Jūshirō is alive?"

"Yes. I couldn't believe it myself at first but it seems that while Kiyone was getting me, lieutenant Ukitake used some sort of healing Kidō on the captain which saved his life

-He will however be unconscious for a while since his body needs"

I nodded understanding and looked away from a moment before I meet her eyes.

"Is it okay if I see him?"

"Of course"

I followed her to a room were she gestured for me to go in.

"I'll be back to check on him soon"

"Okay"

I then walked into the room and I couldn't believe my eyes at first.

There on the bed with an oxygen mask over his mouth and nose as well as an IV in his arm was my best friend.

"Jūshirō..."

I walked closer and sat down on the chair next to his bed.

It was not the first time I saw him like this since many years ago, he had an attack that had him in a similar state for a week.

"I'm glad that you could be saved, Juu

-It's enough that we've already lost Old-man Yama and Retsu"

I then closed my eyes and let a bit of my reiatsu surround him and I couldn't help but smile when I felt his own reiatsu calm down a bit.

During all the years we've known each other, Jūshirō always seemed to get calmer when he sensed my reiatsu around him during times he was sick.

" _I hope you wake up soon"_

 _ **I stayed with Juu for a while before I decided to go see Suro.**_

When I entered his room, I saw that he was sleeping. Not that I was surprised since it must have taken a lot of energy from him fighting and saving Jūshirō.

I walked over to him and smiled.

Katsurou was like a nephew to me and I had watched him grow up to be the man he is today. But I never imagined that he would pull off something like that kidō.

" _Jūshirō you should be proud of your kid"_

I leaned down and brushed his bangs out of his eyes.

"Your really are amazing Suro.

-Get better soon"

 _ **It was a week later that I got news that Katsurou had woken up which I was happy to hear. I had been too busy with my job as head-captain that I couldn't visit on the day I got the news but Nanao made sure I could go there the next day.**_

I made my way through the 4th to Jūshirō's room. I had been told by lieutenant Kotetsu that Suro was there.

I walked in and saw him sit next to the bed but he turned around when he heard me enter.

"Hi kiddo"

"Hi... uncle Shunsui"

I smiled when he called me that since it's been a while since I heard him say that.

I walked over to him and placed my hand on his shoulder.

"It's good to see you're okay. You had a few people worried for the past week"

I then looked down at Jūshirō, a sad smile crossing my face over the fact that he was still unconscious.

"I'm glad you're still with us old friend"

I then sat down in the chair next to Suro and I could see worry in his eyes.

"Suro I know you're worried about Juu after all that happened but you need to remember that he's stronger than you think.

-During all the years I've known him, he's always pulled through the worse attacks of that illness and now when his body is free from it, I'm sure that he will pull through once again"

"I know. Isane assured me that he will wake up once his body has healed some more but it's hard not to worry. We did see him die after all"

"We did. But thanks to you, your father is still here with us"

I placed my hand on his shoulder so he would look at me.

I was worried too you know, until I heard what you did"

"You were?"

"Of course I were. I was worried and scared that I had lost my best friend.

-Juu told me ages ago what would happen if Mimihagi was removed from him. When I arrived at the 12th were the rest of you were and saw him, I was afraid. Afraid that one of the most important people left in my life was gone"

"Besides Yamamoto and Unohana, right?"

"Yes. Those two, Juu as well as you and Nanao are the most important people in my life. Old-man Yama was my teacher and to me and Juu, he was like a father. Unohana was my senior, the oldest captain besides the two of us. Nanao is my very own niece and you... you're like the nephew I never had.

-As for Juu. We've been best friends for centuries but to me he's more like a brother. So when I heard that he was still alive, I couldn't believe it at first until I came here a few days ago and saw it for myself"

A smile appeared on Katsurou's face and the two of us talked for a while before I had to leave to continue my work.

 _ **Days passed and everyday I expected a message from Suro telling me Juu had woken up. But nothing like that happened for another two weeks.**_

I was in the middle of going through a stack of papers when Okikiba entered the room.

"Sir, I just got word from lieutenant Kotetsu.

-Captain Ukitake has woken up"

I felt my eyes widen slighty at hearing that and I looked at Nanao.

"Go, Okikiba and I can take care of things"

"Thank you Nanao"

I grabbed my hat and left the office, Flash Stepping to the 4th division were I walked to the right room.

When I entered, I saw Suro dry his eyes and Jūshirō turned his head towards me.

"Shun"

"Hey. I'm glad to see you're awake Juu"

I walked over to them so I stood next to Suro.

"You had me worried... I was scared I'd lose you old friend"

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to worry anyone"

"It's okay. You're alive and on the road to recovery"

Jūshirō smiled at me and I smiled back before I gave him a quick hug.

I then sat down on the chair on the other side of the bed and the three of us talked for a while until Jūshirō's eyes looked like they were about to close.

"Get some rest Jūshirō, you need it to recover"

He nodded slightly and closed his eyes.

As soon as he was alseep, Suro and I left to let him have some quiet.

"I better go tell the others that our captain has woken up"

"Sounds like a wise idea Suro"

When then went our separate ways as he made his way to the 13th and I went back to the 1st.

 _ **I did my best to visit Juu as much as I could during his recovery. Katsurou returned to his work as lieutenant about two weeks later and it would take another two months before Jūshirō had recovered enough to leave the 4th.**_

It was a few days after Jūshirō had been released from the 4th division and this day was going to be his first time back at the captains' meeting.

The others didn't know yet that he was going to return so it would be a nice surprise since Juu was well respected by all of them, except Kurotsuchi of course who don't respect anyone.

The two of us were standing outside the meeting room were the other captains waited for us.

"Ready Juu?"

"Yes"

I smiled and the doors opened so we could walk in.

I saw the others look at us in surprise before soft smiles appeared on most people's faces when Juu took his spot next to Kenpachi.

"Everyone, before this meeting begins I want to welcome Captain Ukitake back"

"Thank you... head-captain"

"Good to have you back, said Tōshirō"

"Yeah, we heard what happened to ya so it's good to see you up on your feet, said Shinji"

"I agree, said Kensei"

"Thank you everyone"

Everyone then turned their attention to me and we started to talk about the empty captain positions that Retsu, Sajin and I left over the 4th, 7th and 8th.

"We could try contact Love, said Rose"

"He was the captain 100 years ago so he's a logical choice, said Jūshirō

-I also think that lieutenant Kotetsu should take over as the captain of the 4th since she is the best healer we have now when Unohana is dead"

"I agree with Ukitake, said Byakuya"

"Then what about the 8th, SoiFon asked"

"You know, Lisa could be a good candidate, said Kensei"

"In what way, I asked"

"She is a former lieutenant and she is also trying to master the Bankai of Haguro Tonbo, said Rose"

"Then maybe we should call her here so she could take the exam, said Tōshirō"

The others agree and a while later, the meeting ended.

Jūshirō and I visited the grave of Old-Man Yama since he hadn't been there yet and wanted to pay respect to our teacher.

 _ **Things couldn't have been better. Sure we had a lot of rebuilding to do and a bunch of Soul Reapers had lost their lives but things were looking brighter for us.**_

 _ **Jūshirō's survival and recovery was something I didn't expect back when he used Kamikake but I'm happy and thankful for what Katsurou did.**_

 _ **Thanks to him, I can spend more time with my best friend.**_


	34. Extra 4: Accepted

_(Sajin reflects on his friendship with Katsurou)_

 _ **After leaving my clan I didn't expect that people would accept my appearance. Master Genryūsai**_ _ **found me one day and offered me to join the Gotei 13 even thought I wasn't human.**_

 _ **I went through the training I needed to become a Soul Reaper and I joined the 7th division after that. I hid my true face from everyone with a mask that covered my face as well as gloves to cover the fur on my hands and arms.**_

 _ **For years I hid my true appearance and no one besides master Genryūsai knew what I really looked like.**_

 _ **Until one day.**_

I had been asked by captain Ukitake to look after his son Katsurou while he recovered from a bad attack of his illness. I knew the boy since I had meet him before and according to the captain, he seems to like being around me.

However, I was scared that the boy would see my face and be afraid of me.

I shook those thoughts out of my head as I entered the grounds of the 8th division were Katsurou was.

I found the boy along with captain Kyōraku outside the barracks and when I got closer, the captain noticed me.

"I thought you had a mission, captain."

"I do Komamura but I managed to talk Old-man Yama into letting me wait until someone came to look after Katsurou"

"Well I'm here so you and your division can leave"

"Right.

-Be nice to Komamura now, okay kiddo"

"Right Uncle Shunsui"

Katsurou hugged captain Kyōraku before he was handed over to me.

We then left the 8th division and I decided to take the boy to a place I had found some time ago.

"Were are we going Mr Komamura?"

"There's no need to be formal with me, just call me Sajin.

-As for were we're going, you'll find out soon"

I walked in among some trees and reached a small field were I placed Katsurou on the ground.

"Go on. Why don't you run around and play a little"

Katsurou smiled a little before he started to run around on the field and I sat down, keeping a close eye on him.

After a while, Katsurou came and sat down on my leg.

"Why are you hiding your face?"

If hadn't had my mask, he would have seen the surprise in my eyes.

"Because I'm different from others"

"How?

I looked down at the boy and sighed before I reached up took off my mask, showing my true face, the face of a wolf.

To my surprise, Katsurou wasn't scared. Instead, I saw how he reached his hand up towards me so I lifted him up and he started to stroke my fur.

"So this is why you hide your face"

"Yes. You are the only person besides Head-captain Yamamoto to know what I really look like. Others have only seen my masked face. I'm afraid about how they would react if they saw my true face. I'm afraid to scare them"

"I'm not scared"

"You aren't but others might be. I'm not human after all and I don't know how people would react to have someone like me around them"

"I'm sure that someday they will accept you"

"That makes me glad to hear you say. It's really kind of you"

He then smiled at me and I couldn't help but smile back.

 _ **After that day, Katsurou and I became very good friends. I took him to that field every day he stayed with me. I took it as a chance to take off my mask and the two of us played together.**_

 _ **A week later, captain Ukitake was fully recovered and I when I left Suro at the 13, I told him that I'd love to look after him again.**_

 _ **As he got older, Suro would come a visit me more often and on those days, we would go to that field so we could talk alone.**_

It was a very nice day and Katsurou who now had grown into a young man laid on his back in the grass next to me.

"I'm nervous Sajin"

"Don't be Suro. I'm sure you passed the exam and can attend the academy"

"I hope so too.

-By the way, how is it going with your Bankai training?"

"It's going well since I'm almost done with fully mastering it.

-It's a weird feeling though, having a giant behind you that mimics your every move. I've been close to hitting myself a few times"

Suro started to chuckle at that.

"I wonder what my Zanpakutō's powers will be"

"I guess will have to wait and see until you've awakened it"

"You're right Sajin"

 _ **Suro got accepted into the academy and left to start his studies a week later. A few days after that, I was made the new captain of the 7th division.**_

 _ **I knew he had days off but I was busy with my new position and didn't have a chance to see him on those days. I did hear about the injury he got during training but captain Ukitake came and assured me that Suro was fine.**_

 _ **It wasn't until he had graduated that I was able to see my friend again.**_

I was taking a break from work, just walking around the Seireitei when I spotted him.

Dressed in a Shihakushō and slightly longer hair.

"Katsurou is that you?"

He turned to look at me and when I saw his face, I knew for sure it was him.

He smiled and came up to me.

"Sajin?"

"I knew it was you Katsurou, it's been so long since I last saw you"

"Before I attended the academy if I'm not mistaken"

"That's true and judging by the fact that you're dressed like that I'd say you've graduated."

"I did yesterday. Today is my first day back home.

-Oh I almost forgot, I know it's been a while since it happened but congratulations on becoming a captain"

"Thank you my boy. I should say the same to you for graduating from the Soul Reaper academy"

"Thanks Saj... I mean captain Komamura."

"You can still call me Sajin when it's just the two of us. We have known each other for a long time after all."

"Right"

"So are you just on a nostalgic stroll through the Seireitei or are you going somewhere special?"

"I'm actually on my way to the 4th division to see if captain Unohana has more medicine for my father"

"I see. Mind if I join you on the walk there?

"Sure"

 _ **We took the time it took to walk to the 4th to catch up on what had happened since we last saw each other. I was happy to hear that he had made some friends at the academy and I was also sorry that he had lost one of them during training in the world of the living.**_

Soon, we reached the 4th division.

"Well I need to return to my division now"

"Right. It was nice to see you again Sajin"

"Same for you. Come by the 7th division some day when you have time"

"I will, don't worry"

 _ **A week later, Katsurou came by the 7th and we went to that field were I started to train him in how to stand up against bigger and stronger opponents.**_

 _ **Months passed and as he was promoted to 4th seat, he too had a lot of work to do in his division.**_

This day was one we both managed to get away from work for a while and Suro said he had something to show me.

"So what is it that you wanted me to see?"

"Just the result of some training I've done on my own"

He drew his Zanpakutō and held it in front of him before saying a word I didn't expect, Bankai.

Spirit energy surrounded him and when it died down, Suro stood there with a black pelt over his shoulder, a sword in each hand and some sort of black energy around his feet that made them look like paws.

"You've achieved Bankai"

"Yes. A few weeks ago actually.

-Dad and Shunsui has been helping me with training up my skills when it comes to fighting with dual swords"

"Well then, care to show me how much stronger you've become with that"

"Of course"

I drew Tenken and decided to wait for a while before activating my Shikai.

I was impressed over his skills even thought he hadn't fully mastered his Bankai. It was also easy to see the training he had given by the two dual wielding captains.

After a while, I put Tenken back in his scabbard since I saw that Suro was getting tired. He still hadn't mastered that part of his Bankai.

"That was amazing Suro to think that you've achieved that much power already"

"Thanks Sajin. I couldn't believe it myself at first when I got it but Kuroi must think I'm ready for it or else he wouldn't have given me the powers"

"That's true"

 _ **Time passed and a few years later, the 13th division lost their lieutenant. I felt really sorry for captain Ukitake, Suro and the rest of the 13th.**_

 _ **Suro was named the new lieutenant a week later and I had no doubts that he would do a great job. I was right since after every meeting, Tetsuzaemon would come back and tell me great things about him.**_

40 years had now passed since he took on the position and the two of us were walking down the path that led to our usual place.

"I heard from Tetsuzaemon that you recommended that Kuchiki girl for the mission in the world of the living"

"I did. Both dad and I believe that it will give her much needed experience"

"I see. Then it's a wise decision.

-I guess you also heard that a junior of yours will become a lieutenant"

"If you mean Renji then yes, we were told that during the meeting.

-That guy has come along way since that time"

"You talking about the field training in the world of the living you had at the academy?"

"Yes. Back then I did see potential in him, Izuru and Momo but I never thought all three would end up as lieutenants, two of them even getting the rank before me"

I chuckled slightly at that and as we exitet the forest, I took of my helmet.

"Ready?"

"Of course"

We then began our normal training.

 _ **Rukia Kuchiki, the one sent to the world of the living was supposed to return the next month but she never did. I could see that my friend was worried at first but he told himself that may just be a problem that would take a few days to fix.**_

 _ **But it didn't, another month passed without her returning. In the end, captain Kuchiki and lieutenant Abarai were sent to the world of the living to get her back and it decided that she would be executed because she gave her powers to a human.**_

Some days after she was taken back to the Soul Society, a group of Ryoka appeared in Rukongai but was stopped from entering the Seireitei by captain Ichimaru.

But they managed to get into the Seireitei somehow and all officers were allowed to carry their Zanpakutō around at all time.

In the middle of all the chaos they created, captain Aizen was found dead by his own lieutenant. Kaname and I visited the 4th were Unohana confirmed his death to us.

But it didn't stop there. I got news that Suro had encoutered two Ryoka that night but he managed to get away with only a few scratches and then, captain Kurotsuchi had encoutered the same Ryoka who injured him quite a bit.

Kaname found the boy that morning and he was taken to the 4th to have his injuries healed before putting him in a cell.

I myself was at the 7th when it happened and a while later, Tetsuazemon came with a Hell Butterfly.

"Sir this message came just now"

I held out my hand and the butterfly landed on it and I listened to the message, that Rukia Kuchiki execution had been moved to 29 hours for now and that it wasn't going to change again.

 _ **I didn't have a chance to worry to much about my friend who would have to watch his own subordinate die since on my way to the execution, Kaname and I found out that Kenpachi had helped the Ryoka escape.**_

 _ **We fought against him and during the battle, I shielded Kaname from a strike and it made my helmet crack, revealing my face. But I didn't care, I activated my Bankai and fought against Kenpachi until we saw the Sōkyoku being released.**_

 _ **Not long after that, I felt Master**_ _ **Genryūsai**_ _ **'s spiritual pressure and left the battle to find him.**_

I hadn't gotten far when the voice of Unohana's lieutenant was heard. She told everyone that Aizen had faked his own death and that he was a traitor along with Ichimaru and Kaname.

I quickly went to Sōkyoku Hill were I indeed found Aizen alive. I landed behind him and tried to attack but he grabbed my sword with just one hand.

"It's been quite a while since the last time I saw your face.

-What's brought about the change of heart, Sajin. Has something happened?"

"Aizen how dare you stand there and smile like that.

-You betrayed everybody, everyone of us. You will not be forgiven. Neither will you...Kaname."

I raised my fist and with my Shikai activated, I tried to hit Aizen but he got away and stood next to Kaname.

"Kaname if you got an explanation I need to hear it now"

Kaname was quiet.

"That's it...Nothing. Too bad Kaname.

-BANKAI"

But before Kokujō Tengen Myō'ō had a chance to appear, Aizen somehow appeared in front of me and used a level 90 Hadō on me so I collapsed on the ground.

When the trio then was raised into the air, I slammed my fist into the ground and screamed at Kaname before the Garganta closed.

Members of the 4th division arrived a while later and two of them went up to me but I told them that I was alright.

"You two, go help someone else. I'll take care of the captain"

"Yes sir"

I looked behind me and saw that it was Katsurou who had ordered the two away. He then looked up at me.

"Sajin sit down"

I looked at him and did as I was told before he placed his hands on my arm and started to heal my injuries.

When he asked me why I wouldn't let those two heal me, I turned my head away from him.

"You're still scared about what they would think of you"

"Maybe so"

"Sajin, every captain and lieutenant saw your face earlier, they know what you look like. So there's no need for you to hide it anymore.

-Your appearance won't change anything. You're still the strong and fair captain of the 7th division"

"You sure?"

"Sajin, I've known you since I was a child and you haven't changed a bit since then.

-Your men or any other Soul Reaper will not be scared of you because they know how kind you truly are"

I closed my eyes and sighed before I looked at him and smiled.

"Thank you Suro"

I may have lost one friend to Aizen but I was glad that I still had Katsurou.

 _ **After that, we began training for the battle with Aizen that would take place that winter.**_

 _ **When the day came, we all entered the world of the living but just we thought that we had defeated 2 of the Espada, another Arrancar appeared and revealed that they were still alive. But we were lucky since eight people appeared and helped us in the battle, among them was my old captain, Aikawa.**_

 _ **Shūhei and I found ourselves in a battle with Kaname who had gained the powers of Hollowfication. After a tough battle, we defeated him and when it looked like he seemed to become his old self, his body exploded.**_

 _ **Hadn't Ichigo Kurosaki appeared at that moment, I may have attacked Aizen inblind rage which could have ended in my death.**_

 _ **Myself, the rest of the captains that was standing and Aikawa's group all helped Ichigo the best we could but Aizen defeated us.**_

When I woke up, I was in the 4th division and captain Unohana was standing above me.

"Good to see you're awake captain Komamura"

"What happened?"

I then sat up a bit too quickly and as I raised my left hand to my head, I noticed that it had been restored.

"As good as new isn't it?"

"Did you do this captain Unohana?"

"Yes. Both you and SoiFon had your arms cut off or destroyed by the enemy but I restored them for you"

"Thank you very much"

She nodded at me before leaving and a while later, Suro came in.

"I'm glad to see you're okay Sajin"

"Glad to see you're okay as well

-How's your father? I saw what that Arrancar did to him"

"He'll be fine after a few days of rest here.

-I did some emergency healing back at the battlefield and Captain Unohana did the rest"

"I'm glad to hear that"

A sad look then appeared in his eyes.

"Shūhei told me what happened to Kaname. I'm sorry Sajin"

"Thank you.

-I never expected that to happen to him but if Ichigo hadn't showed up when he did, I would have been killed by Aizen myself since I was about to attack him"

"He's an amazing kid. Too bad we won't have him on our side anymore"

"What do you mean?"

"According to Rukia, Ichigo gave up all his Soul Reaper powers in order to defeat Aizen"

"I see"

"He and his friends are still here but they will return to the world of the living once he wakes up.

-It's sad to lose such a strong ally"

"Indeed. If not for him, your subordinate would be dead by now"

"And we would all have fallen for Aizen's plan

-We were lucky to have Ichigo and now we have to do things on our own"

 _ **Aizen was give 20.000 years of imprisonment in Muken for what he had done. His, Kaname's and Ichimaru's captain positions were given to three men who had held the position 100 years ago, three of Aikawa's friends.**_

 _ **17 months later, Kisuke Urahara came to the Soul Society and on the head-captain's orders, all captains and lieutenants placed a bit of their spirit energy into a sword which would be used to restore Ichigo's powers.**_

 _ **Our greatest ally returned to us and not long after that, a new threat came to the Soul Society in the form of Quincies.**_

During their invasion of the Seireitei, I faced a girl who had killed many officers before I got there. But before I had the chance, my Bankai was stolen from me.

We lost Master Genryūsai during that battle and once it was calmer, I seeked out my great-grandfather and after defeating him, I had him reveal to me a secret technique of our clan.

The Humanization Technique allowed me to become human for the cost of my heart and when the battle was over, I transformed into a regular wolf.

 _I had exchanged my soul of vengance, gone against the very advice I gave Kaname._

Tetsuzaemon found me not long after that and we went through the rest of the war together, apart from the other divisions.

 _ **When the war was over, I began living on the hill behind the 7th division training grounds were two werewolf cubs names Shouma and Urui found me one day and I let them stay with me since they wanted to become Soul Reapers.**_

I was laying in my home when I heard three set of feet get closer, I figured that it was Tetsuzaemon but the smell wasn't quite his.

I soon heard Shouma's voice telling me to come out and when I did, I saw someone I didn't think I would see with them, Suro.

He knelt down and I sniffed his hand before leaning my face into it.

"It's good to see you again old friend.

-I've missed you a lot, Sajin"

I looked at him before I nuzzled my face against his chest, my tail wagging. I was so happy to see him again.

Since I couldn't speak anymore I let out growls that Shouma and Urui translated into what I wanted to say.

Suro then laid down in the grass and I laid down next to him as the brothers told him their story of how they found me.

 _ **Katsurou visited us a lot after that and with the help of both him and Tetsuzaemon, the boys got into the academy some years later.**_

 _ **There was one time he visited when he told me that he had began dating a woman named Hana and I was actually happy for him. A few months later, Tetsuzaemon told me that they were getting married since he was invited to it.**_

Ten years had now passed since the war and I was laying in the grass, enjoying the good weather when I heard footsteps.

I looked up and saw Katsurou come with two children, the boy of the two looked a lot like him.

"Wolfie, said the girl"

I backed away a bit when the boy came closer to me.

"Hikaru don't scare him!"

"Sorry dad"

Katsurou knelt down and held out his hand.

"It's okay Sajin, these are my kids"

"Wait, this is the wolf captain you said was a good friend of yours, said the boy"

"Yes. I told you didn't I, he gave up his life as a Soul Reaper to defeat his enemy"

"I remember that"

The boy then held out his hand.

"I'm Hikaru. Nice to meet you Sajin"

I sniffed his hand before my tail started wagging and I heard Katsurou chuckle.

"I think he likes you Hikaru, as long as you're gentle with him"

"Got it"

Katsurou then placed the girl he was carrying on the ground and she seemed a bit more scared of me. Not that I blamed her, I am a big wolf after all.

I gently got closer and laid down to let her pet me instead of doing the same as with her brother.

Suro saw that his daughter seemed scared and placed his hand on my head.

"See Haruka, he's not dangerous"

She lifted her hand a bit and placed it on my nose and when she realized that I wasn't scary, she laughed a bit in happines.

 _ **After that, Suro would visit me with his son and when she got older, Haruka would come with them more often.**_

 _ **One day, Hikaru and Haruka came on their own to see me.**_

"Sajin!"

My tail started wagging when I saw the two get closer and Haruka even hugged me.

"We have a surprise for you, she said"

I looked at the two of them before turning the way they had come from.

There came Suro, dressed in a captain Haori.

"What do you think Sajin? Does the Haori of the 13th look good on me?"

I let out a happy bark which he seemed to take as a yes.

He told me that Ukitake retired and that he had been promoted the previous day.

I was really happy for him, he deserved that position a lot.

 _ **Katsurou became one of my best friends during my life as a Soul Reaper. Our friendship meant a lot to me and after the war with the Quincies, I was sad at first that I couldn't see him again.**_

 _ **But of course, when he showed up, I was really happy that there was a way for us to meet again even though I couldn't talk back to him.**_

 _ **His kids soon became good friends as well since they would visit me with their father or without him when he was busy.**_

 _ **I couldn't have asked for a better friend.**_

 _Author's note._

 _There will probably be at least one more of these chapters and it will be from Hisagi's POV._


	35. Extra 5: A friend like no other

_**(**_ Shūhei thinks about his time with Katsurou from their academy days and onward)

 _ **Twice I failed the entrance exam to Soul Reaper Academy but on my 3rd try I got in. I was placed in the advanced class and for the first weeks, everything was as I expected. But one day...**_

I was on my way to Kidō class when I noticed three older students stand next to a guy from my class. I hadn't talked to him before but I recognized him.

I was about to walk away when I saw one of the older students punch him.

"HEY. Leave him alone"

I ran up to them and the three older students looked at me.

"Who are you?"

"Does it matter to you? Now leave that guy alone"

"Why are you defending him? He's not like us at all. He only got accepted into the academy because he is a captain's son"

 _"So that's why they're picking on him"_

I had heard the rumor that the older students had spread about a guy in my class but I never expected it to be this guy. But I knew they were wrong since I recognized him from the entrance exam.

"No, you're wrong about that. He took the entrance exam and got placed in the advanced class due to his high score. I would know since I'm in his class and saw him at the exam.

-Now get lost!"

The three looked at each other before walking away.

I then turned to my classmate and helped him up.

You okay?"

"Yeah. Thanks a lot for the help"

"No problem. Those guys just think they're tough because they're third years"

"You're probably right"

He brushed off his uniform a bit before turning to me again.

"My name is Katsurou Ukitake by the way"

"I'm Shūhei Hisagi.

-Nice to meet you Katsurou"

He told me that I could just call him Suro if I wanted to and when I said it was nice nickname, he told me that his father had come up with it when he was little.

I quickly figured out by his last name that his father was the 13th division captain and told him that I believe those 3rd years were jealous since they don't have parents as well known as his father despite them being from nobility.

 _ **Katsurou and I became friends after that day and I swore to myself that I would be there for him if the older students ever picked on him again. I even moved into the same dorm room as him after I found out he had a room to himself.**_

One day after class, I returned to our room and Katsurou arrived a while after me.

Hey Suro, where did you go?"

"Our teacher just wanted to give me this"

He held up a letter before he sat down on his bed and opened it.

Once he had read it, he looked at me.

"Hey Shūhei are you going home on the day off?"

"There is not much for me to go home for. I don't really have anyone left in the part of Rukongai where I grew up so I'll probably stay here"

"Why not come with me to my home"

"Your place?!"

"Yeah. You see, I wrote a letter to my father the day we meet. I told him about everything that has happened and that you became my friend."

"You did?"

"Yep, this letter is from him actually. He says that it's great that I found a friend and if you don't have anywhere else to go on the day off, you're more than welcome to our home at the Ukitake estate"

"Well when you say it that way, it's hard to turn down that offer"

 _ **Two days later, it was time for our day off.**_

I had gathered some of my things and was on my way to meet Suro outside the gate, I was a bit late and worried that he may think I had changed my mind.

"Sorry for letting you wait"

"It's okay. Now let's go, there's quite a long way for us to go"

"Right"

He then began to walk away and I followed him.

"Hey Suro, what's your father like?"

"You won't find a man that's kinder than him. He saved me after all"

"Saved you?"

"I'm originaly from the 75th district of west Rukongai. One day, my father found me and adopted me into the Ukitake Family as his son.

-My memories from Rukongai are ones I want to forget and I also want others to know me as the son of the Ukitake family rather than "a filthy street rat" as others call kids from my district"

I looked at my friend and saw a bit of pain in his eyes. I had no idea his past was that bad since he seemed like the happiest guy I've meet.

He then looked at me with a smile on his face.

"You don't need to worry Shūhei. My father is a really kind man. Just be yourself."

"Right"

I then looked up and saw the number 13 on a building a bit away. When we got there, Suro walked inside and we meet a man with a badge on his arm which I had learned showed the status of a lieutenant.

Suro introduced him as Kaien Shiba and he told us that his father was outside.

So we walked around the barracks and found two men sitting outside. One with long white hair and kind hazel eyes and the other had dark hair and he wore a pink kimono over his uniform.

The white-haired of the two smiled when he saw us, got up and walked over to us.

I couldn't help but smile when he and Suro hugged each other and I figured that this man was his father.

 _ **We stayed at the barracks and talked with Katsurou's father for a while before we made it to his family's estate were I got to meet two of his uncles and one of his aunts.**_

 _ **The next day, we mostly relaxed in the garden but Katsurou also took me to see a friend of his, the lord of the Kuchiki family himself. I was of course nervous about meeting him but when he thanks me for being there for Suro, I allowed myself to relax a bit.**_

 _ **When we returned to the academy the next day, we continued our training and everything went well until a joint training during our second year were Suro was hurt by the very same student I had saved him from.**_

I had just gotten back to the academy after leaving Suro at the 4th division. As I laid down on my bed, I saw a few papers on both Suro's and my desk, I guess someone in our class had left them for us.

I decided to look at them later and before I knew it, I had fallen asleep.

Images of my friend being attacked haunted my dreams that night and I woke up multiple times wishing for it to be a simple dream. But Suro's empty bed was a clear sign that something really happened.

When I noticed the sun coming up, I decided to give up on falling asleep, I had to get through the day a bit tired.

I changed into a clean uniform and went to class.

"Hisagi stay for a moment, said our teacher when class was over"

I waited until the others had left before walking over to him and he held out a letter.

"This came from captain Ukitake of the 13th division earlier. It's adressed to you"

I took it and thanked my teacher before I walked outside and sat down under a tree were I opened the letter. I sighed a bit in relief when I read it.

Suro was alright but he would need to stay a few days in the 4th and then a week at home.

 _ **The student who injured Suro was expelled a few days later and when my friend finally returned to the academy, it was like that incident never happened. The only reminder was the scar on Suro's back.**_

 _ **Our time at the academy was pretty calm after that. We and the rest of our class trained hard and one day just a few weeks before our graduation, Suro, Myself and our classmates Aoga and Kanisawa were put in charge of a training exercise for the 1st years. But a giant Hollow appeared, injuring Aoga and I while Kanisawa was killed.**_

Suro and I had just gotten back after captain Aizen of the 5th division came and saved us from the giant Hollow.

"Let's go have your eye checked, Shūhei"

"Right"

We made our way to the infirmary were a healer immediately checked my eye.

"You're lucky that Hollow didn't injure you more. If it did, you would have been blind on this eye

-Your vision however will not be the same as it was since there as still a slight damage"

"I understand"

She wrapped some bandages around my head to cover the injured eye before turning to Suro, examining him really quickly.

We then went to the headmaster to report what had happened.

As we walked into his office, we both got down on our knees to bow.

"I heard your exercise didn't go as planned"

"Not fully sir, said Suro"

"What happened?"

"Everything was going well and then out of nowhere, this giant Hollow came. Kanisawa was killed by it and Aoga is badly injured.

-The healers are taking care of him right now"

"And as you can see, my eye was injured, I said

-But if Captain Aizen and lieutenant Ichimaru hadn't come, who knows what would have happened"

He nodded understanding.

"I am grateful that captain Aizen saved all of you and it's sad to hear that a student was killed"

The headmaster stood up and walked over to the window.

"I'll tell your friend's family about her passing, you boys don't blame yourselves for it"

"Yes sir"

"You may also have the next two days off after everything that's happened tonight"

"Thank you sir"

 _ **We both worked hard our final weeks at the academy and once we had graduated, Suro joined his father's division while I joined the 9th. Even though we were in different division, we did our best to find time to meet and most of those times we either trained Hakuda or just relaxed.**_

 _ **I soon reached the rank of lieutenant and some years later, Suro too acquired the position after the death of Kaien Shiba.**_

It was the day after Suro had been introduced to the rest of us as the new lieutenant of the 13th division and I was getting ready to leave for my lunch break.

"I'll be back in about an hour captain Tōsen"

"Alright"

I left the division and meet up with Suro outside a restaurant were we went inside to eat.

"I know this might be a sensible subject Suro but...

-What happened to lieutenant Shiba? All we got to know was that a Hollow is responsible"

"Well a Hollow was involved in it that's true"

When I saw the sad look in my friend's eyes, I regreted asking him about it. I knew Suro looked up to Kaien like a brother and a mentor so his death must have been hard for him.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked.

-You don't have to..."

"No, it's okay"

He took a deep breath before he told me everything that happened that night.

"If we had been more careful around it, then Kaien may still be alive"

"But didn't you say that he asked to fight it alone?"

"I did"

"Then there's no need for either you, your father or Rukia to blame yourselves about it since you did as he wished"

Suro looked up at me and a smile crossed his face.

"Thanks Shūhei. You always know what to say to cheer me up"

"That's what friends are for"

 _ **The Shiba clan fell from their status as one of the great noble clans shortly after that and 20 years later, another member of the clan vanished, captain Isshin Shiba.**_

 _ **After that, things we peacefull until Suro's subordinate Rukia Kuchiki was arrested because she had given her powers to a human.**_

 _ **But in the end, the situation was solved when we found out that Captain Aizen was a traitor along with Ichimaru and... captain Tōsen. The human boy Ichigo and his friends became our allies and we started to prepare for a showdown with Aizen.**_

The head-captain ordered all captains and lieutenants to prepare for the upcoming battle not long after we discovered the existance of the Arrancars.

Suro and I decided to train together in order to prepare ourselves for the battle.

"HOWL TOWARDS THE SHINING MOON!"

After his Shikai had activated, Suro sent his wolves towards me and I used different kidō spells to get rid of them until Suro suddenly stopped.

"What's the matter?"

"Shūhei why don't you use your Shikai?"

I looked at him in surprise before resting a hand on my Zanpakutō.

"You know why I don't use Kazeshini"

"I know, I know. You don't like the fact that his shikai is in the shape it is"

He scratched the back of his neck for a moment before looking at me.

"Shūhei use your Shikai against me as if I was an Arrancar"

"What?! But what if I hurt you or something?"

"Don't worry about me. The important thing right now is to get ready for the battle with Aizen and you need to be ready to use your Shikai even if you don't like it"

I sighed, knowing my friend was right.

So I drew my sword and looked at it for a moment before I grabbed it with both hands.

"Reap... Kazeshini"

My Zanpakutō split into two dual bladed scythes connected by a chain and I looked towards my best friend.

"I hope you're ready"

"Come at me"

I nodded and started to swing one of the scythes by the chain before throwing it towards Suro who dodged before he Flash Stepped around to confuse me.

 _ **Thanks to our training, Suro and I were well prepared for the battle were I actually ended up using my Shikai to defeat my opponent, Findorr. But I was later knocked out while fighting this giant creature that three of the Arrancars had created.**_

 _ **But thanks to Ichigo, we won the war and not long after that, my division as well as the 3rd and 5th were assigned new captains. My new captain was none other than Kensei Muguruma, the very same man who had saved me from a Hollow when I was little.**_

Sometime had now passed since the battle, one and a half year to be exact. Things had been calm since Aizen's defeat until now when reports about Hollows disappearing in the world of the living and people disappearing in Rukongai.

It was also that very same day that someone had sneaked into the 1st division and killed lieutenant Sasakibe along with other officers.

A few days later, the Seireitei was invaded by Quincies.

I found myself facing off against a Quincy who introduced himself as Driscoll Berci, the same man who killed Sasakibe.

He easily knocked me around and slammed me into a wall.

It was then Suro had appeared.

"You okay?"

"Yeah, don't worry Suro. But listen, that's the guy who killed Sasakibe"

"What?!"

Driscoll started laughing and pushed Suro's wolves off him.

"Your friend is right, I killed that lieutenant the last time I came here"

He then created this giant arrow and was about to throw it at us when Head-captain Yamamoto appeared, saving us and avenging Sasakibe by killing Driscoll.

 _ **The Quincies left not long after that. During the battle, we lost head-captain Yamamoto and many people were seriously injured. Captain Kuchiki and Zaraki survived but it wasn't sure if they would wake up. Some of the captains had also lost their Bankai.**_

 _ **Captain Muguruma took me to a place were he tried to have me activate my Bankai.**_

 _ **When they returned, they changed the entire Seireitei so they had the advantage against us. Along with Ikkaku and Yumichika as well as Renji, Rukia and captain Kuchiki who all had returned from the Soul Palace, we engaged the Quincies in combat until we were seperated by an explosion.**_

Suro and I had landed in rubble and had just got out when another Quincy appeared. He somehow took control of me and had me fight Suro but after he joined up with captain Kuchiki, they knocked me out and defeated the Quincy.

I woke up in a room were I found Isane, 3rd seat Yamada and captain Ukitake treating Ikkaku, Yumichika and captain Zaraki.

Once the others were treated, we entered a room were a large group of people were gathered and Kisuke Urahara explained that we would make our way to the Soul Palace.

But as he was explaining things to us, the ground started to shake, a sign that the Soul King had died.

Captain Ukitake then used the powers of a fallen god called Mimihagi to take the Soul kings place, giving his own life in the process.

As we worked on the gate, I could see Suro stand against a wall in the room, sadness in his always joy filled eyes.

I couldn't even imagine the pain he must be feeling right now.

I saw captain Kuchiki walk up to him and the two talked with each other. I was about to join them when Urahara told all of us to enter the finished gate.

 _ **As we were making our way towards the palace, I noticed that Suro took another way from the rest of us and not long after that, I was taken down by a powerful shot in the shoulder.**_

 _ **I woke up in the 4th and was informed that the war was over and that we had won.**_

Isane was looking over my wound which she had managed to heal while I was knocked out.

"Everything looks good lieutenant Hisagi. There's no need for you to stay here"

"Thanks lieutenant Kotetsu"

I put on my Kosode before I turned to look at her again.

"I there any chance that Katsurou is here?"

"Yes. He was brought in a few hours ago"

"How is he?"

"He's okay, just very exhausted since he used up all his energy"

"For what?"

"According to 3rd seat Kotsubaki, lieutenant Ukitake used a very powerful healing Kidō to save the life of his father"

I couldn't believe it at first. I never knew Suro was that powerful.

"Can I see him?"

"Of course. But I should tell you that he is unconscious due to his low energy but he will wake up in a couple of days"

"That's good to hear"

Isane smiled at me and instructed one of her officers to show me to the room my best friend was in.

I quietly entered the room and walked over to the bed were I sat down on a chair.

"You really are an incredible guy Suro. I knew you were strong but that you managed to pull off a Kidō like that is something I didn't expect"

A smile crossed my face.

"But I'm happy that you found a way to save your father.

-Get well soon, my friend"

I then got up and decided to also pay captain Ukitake a visit before leaving.

When I saw the state he was in, I was a bit sad but also happy that he was okay.

"Captain, it's me, Shūhei. I just came by to say that I'm glad you're okay, I can't imagine how devestated Suro would have been if you had really died.

-You mean a lot to him so I hope you wake up soon so he won't have to worry about you"

 _ **After that day, I was busy since everyone was ordered to start the rebuilding of the Seireitei. I visited Suro during my breaks and when a week had passed, Aoga came to me and told me he had woken up.**_

I went to the 4th division were I was told that Suro was in his father's room. I made my way there and walked in to see my best friend sit next to the bed with a bit of worry in his eyes.

But still, I was glad to see him up on his feet rather than laying still in a bed.

"Hey, how are you Suro?"

"I'm okay. I just need to stay here for a few days after what happened"

"Yeah, I heard about that. That you were able to pull off a kidō that strong but still fall unconscious"

"Well, that new Bankai of mine drained my energy a bit since I didn't know how to fully control it"

" _New Bankai? So the one he's had until now wasn't his full power._

 _-_ Guess you're back to square 1 then"

"Yeah. Once everything has been rebuilt, I'll start training to fully understand and control my new abilities"

The two of us agree to train together since I was close to achieving my own Bankai.

We then sat there and talked while eating some Onigiri I had brought with me but during the entire time, I couldn't help but notice that even though Suro acted like his regular self, his eyes still showed worry.

 _ **Captain Ukitake woke up two weeks later and about a week after that, Suro returned to work. I was happy to have him back and he even told me that he had let his worry get the better of him while staying in the 4th division.**_

 _ **Time passed and a few months later, Suro saved a woman named Hana from a Hollow. The two fell for each other and started dating. Some time later, they got married and had a child one and a half year later.**_

I was busy with an article that was going to be in the Seireitei Bulletin when Suro came. I didn't expect him to how up since he was off duty for a few months.

"Surp what brings you here? I thought you were still on leave"

"I am. I just came by to invite you to our house tomorrow to meet my son"

"Can't say no to that. I promise I'll be there"

"Great. See you tomorrow"

The next day I finished my morning duties as fast as I could before making my way to the Ukitake estate were I found Renji and Rukia.

"I guess you were invited too"

"Yes, Katsurou came by yesterday and invited me. I asked if I could bring Renji and he was okay with it"

Once the head-captain and Nanao showed up, Suro and captain Ukitake welcomed us before Hana came in with their son.

Once he was placed in my arms, I couldn't help but notice how much he looked like Suro with his black hair and brown eyes.

"Shūhei there's something I want to ask you"

"What is it?"

"It's about Hikaru. When I was in the world of the living on a mission a few months ago, I overheard a couple talking about something called godparents so I asked Ichigo about it"

He told me that a godparent is someone parents choose to take care of their child if something would happen to them.

"When I got back from that mission, I talked with Hana about it and we thought it was a good idea.

-So I wanted to ask if you wanted to be Hikaru's godfather"

I looked at him in surprise as he said that.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, Besides, it's only if something happens to Hana, dad AND myself that he will be in your care

-So what do you say old friend?"

I looked at my best friend and then at the boy in my arms. I could feel joy build up inside me knowing that Suro trusted me so much that he would choose me for a position like that.

"It would be an honor"

"I'm glad to hear that"

Later when I was about to leave, I stopped in the door and looked at my best friend.

"Why choose me of all people?"

"You've been my best friend since that day you saved me from those bullies at the academy all those years ago. But I also see you as the closest thing I have to a brother. I would trust you with my life.

-That's why I picked you to be Hikaru's godfather. And who knows, maybe he'll call you uncle when he gets older"

I could fear a few tears in my eyes as I heard him say those words. I knew we were best friends but that he sees me as a brother was something I didn't expect to hear.

I walked up to him and gave him a quick hug.

"Thank you for trusting me that much"

"I wouldn't have it any other way"

I smiled and turned to Hikaru who laid in captain Ukitake's arms.

" _Don't worry little guy. I'll make sure to live up to the position your parents have given me as your godfather and I promise you that I'll try to be a good uncle"_

 _ **As Hikaru grew, I came by their home as often as I could to either look after him if his parents and grandfather were busy or just play. Everytime he called me Uncle**_ _ **Shūhei, I felt a lot of happiness knowing the boy loked up to me in that way.**_

 _ **Suro's daughter Haruka was born five years after her brother and the two couldn't have had more peaceful times to grow up in.**_

 _ **30 years after the war, captain Ukitake retired from his position and Suro took over as the new captain. I was incredibly happy for him since this was a position he deserved a lot.**_

Suro and I were standing on his division's training grounds, both of us were in our Bankai.

Despite his position, my friend still made time to continue helping me train to master my Bankai which I was grateful for. Kazeshini may have gotten a bit kinder with me but he wasn't gonna let me have full control that easily.

The energy around his hands then turned into a sword that split into these very small wolves in a way similar to captain Kuchiki's SenbonZakura.

"Sanran ōkami!"

The small wolves surrounded me but I used some blades of wind to knock them away from me.

I looked towards Suro and he had a smile on his face as his Bankai disappeared and I deactivated mine as well.

"I'd say you have that Bankai as good as mastered"

"Thanks"

Suro smiled and picked up his Haori that laid on the ground

"Even after 50 years, it's still strange to see you in that"

"Tell me about it. Some days it doesn't feel real for some reason.

-But I am the 13th division captain"

He put it on and turned to me.

"And soon, you'll be the captain of the 9th"

"If I pass the exam that is"

"Don't worry old friend. You'll pass and take over the position when Kensei steps down"

"You don't happen to know who will oversee the exam"

"I do but I'm not allowed to tell you"

"What?!"

"Just kidding.

-It's captain Hirako and captain Hitsugaya"

"I see"

 _ **I took the exam a few days later and passed.**_

 _ **When captain Muguruma and the other visorde stepped down a few days later, I was officaly made the captain of the 9th division.**_

I was bowing before head-captain Kuchiki and the other captains.

"Captains and lieutenants of the Gotei 13, today we welcome yet another new captain since lieutenant Shūhei Hisagi of the 9th division has reached the rank of captain.

-Serve your division and the Gotei 13 well, Captain Hisagi"

"I promise, head-captain"

I got up and turned to face the others who all applauded before gathering around me.

"You did it Shūhei, said Izuru"

"Welcome to the captains, said Renji"

I smiled at them, the two of them had become the captains of the 3rd and 5th division the previous days so they were as new as I.

"I wouldn't have had a better person take over, said captain Hitsugaya"

"Just don't do anything stupid just because you're new, said SoiFon"

"I won't disappoint any of you, I told them"

Suro then came up to me and placed a hand on my shoulder.

"I'm proud of you my friend. You passed the exam and now we're the same rank"

"I won't be behind you anymore"

He chuckled at that.

"No you won't

-To think that you were the first of the two of us to become a lieutenant but the last to be a captain"

"Hey!"

Everyone laughed a bit at that and I couldn't help but smile.

 _"Captain Muguruma, captain Tōsen. I promise that I will make the two of you proud now when I've taker your position._

 _-I'll use what you two taught me to lead the 9th in a fair way"_

 _ **Suro and I have been through a lot together and I actually can't imagine what my life would have been like if I hadn't become friends with him.**_

 _ **Well I knew my life wouldn't be as good, that's for sure.**_

 _ **Our friendship is something I'll treasure until the day I die because a friend like him is hard to find and impossible to forget.**_

 _Author note_

 _And here is Hisagi's chapter. I will update their little Bankai training once Can't fear your own world reveals his Bankai._

Translations.

 _Sanran_ ōkami _= Scattered wolves_


	36. Extra 6: Lovers

**The first time we meet was like one of those old stories in the world of the living. A woman in need being saved from a beast by a knight or in my case, the beast was a Hollow and the knight was a lieutenant.**

 **His name was Katsurou Ukitake, lieutenant of the 13th divivision and heir to the Ukitake family.**

He was really a gentleman, offering to follow me back to my division and making sure I was okay.

Once he had left, I turned to lieutenant Kotetsu.

"So that's the lieutenant you worked under"

"Yeah. That's lieutenant Ukitake"

"I thought you said he yelled at you and Kotsubaki a lot"

"He did but when we were together. If he walked to one of us alone, he was just as nice as the captain"

" _I'm sure there must have been a good reason for him to yell at them. He doesn't seem like the kind of person that does it often"_

 _ **A few days passed and I couldn't get the lieutenant out of my thoughts. Those kind brown eyes and that sweet smile.**_

 _"Could I really be... in love?"_

"Hana. Hey!"

I snapped out of my thoughts to see my best friend Matsuri next to me.

"You were staring of into space"

"Oh sorry, I didn't mean to"

She then got this smirk on her face.

"Thinking about that guy who saved you?"

"It wasn't just some random guy, it was the 13th division's lieutenant"

"Yeah yeah. Anyway, if you have a crush on him, you should probably let go of it.

-He probably has a fiancée or something like that already seeing how he is from an aristocratic family"

Matsuri then left since she had work to do.

She wasn't wrong though. What if I had a crush on a man who already had a girlfriend or wife.

Katsurou actually arrived a while later and told me that he had the same feelings for me and that I was the first woman he'd ever loved.

We went to a cafe were we talked and I was surprised to hear about his past as a child from the 75th district of Rukongai.

 _ **After that day, we started seeing each other we had a break from work and soon, we were a couple. At first it was actually hard to believe that such a kind, handsome man was my boyfriend.**_

This day, he had come to get me so we could spend our lunch break together.

We went to a hill with a lone tree that overlooked the Seireitei, a place I knew he loved to come too since he had told me about it.

After we had finished the food he had brought, I leaned my head against his shoulder.

"Hana"

"Yes?"

"You know that we talked about introducing each other to our families now when we've been together for almost two months"

"I do"

"Well, I was wondering if I could introduce you to my father"

I knew we had talked about introducing each other to our families but it was still a surprise to hear it just like that.

"You father?"

"Yes. The captain I serve under and the head of the Ukitake family, Jūshirō Ukitake

-If you don't want to do it we can..."

"Oh no. I want to meet him. It's just that, this will be the first time I meet a captain besides my own"

"You don't have to worry. My father is the kindest man you'll ever meet"

"Okay"

"Good. Come to the Ukitake estate tomorrow once you're all done with work"

"I'll be there"

He smiled and kissed me before we got up since we had to return to our divisions.

 _ **The next day when I had finished my work, I made my way to my boyfriend's home.**_

I walked through the gate and saw him stand under a tree in the garden.

He smiled when he saw me and walked over.

"Ready to meet my father?"

"Yes"

"Let's go inside then. Dad will be here soon since he had a few things to finish at the 13th"

I nodded and we walked inside were I saw a few people walk around.

"Who are they?"

"They're some of the few servants our family have. Most of them have been around since long before I came and a few were hired some years ago"

"I see"

We sat down in a room until one of the servants informed us that Katsurou's father was home.

The next time the door opened, a white-haired man dressed in a captain uniform entered. It was then I remembered that I had seen him at the 4th many times in the past but I myself had never treated him.

"You got done faster than I thought dad"

"Rukia told me that she could handle the rest after I told her that I would meet your girlfriend"

"That's kind of her"

Katsurou then turned to me.

"Hana this is my father, Jūshirō Ukitake.

-Dad this is Hana"

"It's an honor to meet you captain Ukitake"

"Please Hana, you don't have to be so formal here in our home so just call me Jūshirō"

"Okay"

I relaxed a bit at that. Katsurou's family may be aristocrats but his father was indeed the kindest person I had meet.

We then walked to another room were food was ready for us and as we sat down and ate, we talked and I got to know more about Katsurou, his family and life while I told them more about me.

 _ **A few days later, we had our day off and I decided that Katsurou should meet my family so I brought him with me to North Rukongai were my parents and big brother lived. Mom was really happy to meet Katsurou and welcomed him with open arms while dad and Shinya were a bit more on the protective side but they too accepted him.**_

A little over a year had now passed since we started dating and I was looking over a few charts when Matsuri came.

"Hey Hana, are you doing anything today after work?"

"Well it's the 1 year anniversary of Katsurou and becoming a couple so he and I are probably gonna do something"

"I still can't believe you've been together for that long"

"And you were the one who said I should give up on him since he probably already had wife"

"I know and I was wrong"

I giggled a little at that.

 _ **A few hours later.**_

I was done with all my work for the day and walked out of the division just as Katsurou came.

"Ready to go?"

"Yes"

He took me with him to that hill we often spent time with.

"Why did we come here?"

"Because I want to ask you something"

He took both my hands into his and looked into my eyes.

"Ever since the day we meet, I knew that you were the woman I wanted to spend the rest of my life with"

He then got down on a knee.

"Hana Kurosawa will you marry me?"

I covered my mouth with my hands and tears soon streamed down my cheeks as I nodded.

Katsurou hugged me before kissing me.

 _ **After that, we started to plan our wedding. Due to Katsurou being the heir of his family, it was going to be a big event.**_

 _ **We got married 2 months later, making me Hana Ukitake.**_

 _ **In the beginning, it was different to live in the ways of an aristocrat but Katsurou promised that I would get used to the servants in the house and the big space quickly.**_

 _ **A few months later, I had indeed gotten used to the servants calling me Lady Hana and having a big home to live in.**_

A year and a half had now passed since our wedding and I hadn't been feeling well for a few days

"I'm sure Rukia can cover everything for the day if you want me to come with you"

"I'll be fine Katsurou. You have a meeting this morning and then other work to do

-I'll come by the 13th after I've talked with captain Kotetsu to let you know if it is what we suspect or if it is something else"

"Okay"

He kissed me on the forehead before walking to the door.

"I'll see you later"

"We do"

He then left for the lieutenants' meeting he had to attend and I left a while later.

"Captain Kotetsu can I speak with you?"

"Of course Hana. What's the matter?"

"I haven't been feeling that well for a few days now so I was wondering if you could maybe have a look at me"

"Okay"

We walked into a room were she used kidō to check what was wrong with me.

A smile appeared on her face as she lifted her hand from me.

"Before I tell you I just wanted to ask, what do you and lieutenant Ukitake think it is"

"We first thought it was just something I had eaten but last night we started to suspect something else"

"And that is?"

"That I might be pregnant"

"Well your suspicion was correct.

-Congratulations Hana, you are pregnant"

A smile made my way onto my face as my captain said that.

 _ **I adviced to only work with lightly injured people and stop working when I was five months along.**_

 _ **I thanked her and made my way to the 13th were I told Katsurou the news which he was very happy about. We also told Jūshirō and my father-in-law was also very happy over the news.**_

 _ **I kept working until I reached five months and during the time I spent at home, I was thankfull to have the servants of the house there to help.**_

December had now come and I was close to my due date. Katsurou and Jūshirō had left early due to a joint meeting and I had an apointment with captain Kotetsu.

Luckly for me it wasn't snowing so I could easily get to the 4th division.

But as I was about to leave, I got this terrible pain and captain Kotetsu told me that I was in labour. She took me into a room along with the lieutenant, Matsuri as well as 3rd seat Iemura and Yamada.

Before I knew it, a little boy was placed in my arms. He had the same raven black hair as his father and I was hoping for his eyes to be the same shade of brown.

"Congratulations"

"Thank you captain Kotetsu"

She smiled at me.

"He's perfectly health despite being a few days early"

"That's good"

She nodded and walked towards the door.

"I'll send a message to your husband so he knows that your son has been born"

"Thank you"

The captain and the others then left along with the 3rd seats while Matsuri stayed for a moment.

"He looks a lot like his father"

"He does. I was actually hoping that he would look like Katsurou"

Matsuri smiled and hugged me.

"Congratualtions"

"Thank you Matsuri"

"I have to go now since I have work to do"

I nodded and she walked out of the room.

Not long after that came Katsurou and I could tell by the look in his eyes how much he loved our son already. Jūshirō came as well a while later and it was then we decided on the name Hikaru, our favorite boy name from when we were comming up with ideas.

 _ **I stayed at the 4th overnight and was able to go home the next day. Luckly for me, Katsurou had been given time off to be with me and Hikaru these first months and I was thankful for that. My husband was a natural father despite his past as an orphan in Rukongai.**_

 _ **Katsurou returned to work four months later and I didn't go back until Hikaru was a year old. A few months after that, Katsurou's co-lieutenant Rukia and her husband Renji had a daughter.**_

 _ **Ichika as her name was and Hikaru became very good friends as they got older.**_

Hikaru was now five and Ichika was about to turn four in a couple of months.

It was February and I was watching Hikaru play outside with Ichika. There was still some snow outside and being a child born in winter, Hikaru loved it.

As I watched them, I placed a hand on my stomach. I was pregnant again and I was hoping for a daughter this time. Not that I didn't have anything against having another son but I've always wanted one of each.

"Come in now you two before you catch a cold"

The two kids came running inside were two maids helped them get off their wet clothes and put on dry ones.

"When will dad be home, Hikaru asked"

"He and your grandfather should be back soon"

Just as I said that, the door opened and there stood Katsurou, Jūshirō and Rukia.

"Mommy"

Ichika ran up to her mother who picked her up.

"Hello there Ichika.

-I hope she hasn't been that much trouble for you Hana"

"Oh no worries. She's been a very nice little girl"

"Good.

-Let's go home then Ichika. Daddy and uncle Byakuya is waiting for us"

"We'll see you tomorrow Rukia, said Katsurou"

"We do"

The two then left and as soon as the door closed, Hikaru took the chance to sneak up on his father before slightly tackling him.

Katsurou of course pretended that it was enough to make him fall and Hikaru laughed before throwing his arms around him.

"Got you dad"

"You sure did"

I smiled as I watched the two.

I was lucky to have such an amazing husband and son.

 _ **Two months later, our daughter Haruka was born. If Hikaru looked like Katsurou, then Haruka looked like me with her dark hair and green eyes.**_

 _ **Our kids couldn't have grown up in better times since it was peace after the war.**_

 _ **30 years later, Katsurou was promoted to the rank of captain, taking over the leadership of the 13th division when his father stepped down.**_

Today was Katsurou's first day as captain and I couldn't be more happy for him. He was strong and kind just like his father and I knew he would be a great captain.

"I'll see you tonight"

"We do, dear"

He smiled before turning to the kids. He ruffled Hikaru's hair and gave Haruka a hug.

"You two be nice to your grandfather today"

"We will, said Hikaru"

"That's my boy"

He then stood up and kissed me.

"I better get going. Don't wanna be late on my first day as a captain"

I nodded and he walked out the door. I too had to go to work so I got ready to leave as well.

When I was done, I found the kids with their grandfather in the living room.

"I'll be leaving now Jūshirō"

"Okay Hana. Have a good day"

"I will"

The kids hugged me before going back to were they had been sitting next to Jūshirō.

It was his first day as retired but he already seemed to enjoy it because he had the kids to keep him company.

 _ **When I think back on it, I couldn't have wished to have a better husband than Katsurou. He was kind and had a big heart, a true gentleman.**_

 _ **My marriage with him gave me a life I didn't expect to have as an aristocrat and it also gave me two beautiful children who I had no doubt would become great Soul Reapers one day.**_

 _ **I'm glad it was Katsurou who saved me that day because it is hard to imagine a life without him as my husband.**_


	37. Extra 7: Alive

_**I had no regrets for what I had done.**_

I had lived a long life and it was an honor to die for the Gotei 13. But I also felt bad for the pain I had caused my son.

"I'm sorry Suro"

It was then I opened my eyes and found myself surrounded by darkness but I soon hear a familiar voice.

"Dad, I don't know if you can hear me but I'm here and I'm so relieved that you are going to be okay"

It was Katsurou's voice.

But was that even possible and what did he mean with me being okay?"

 _ **I don't know how much time passed but I kept hearing my son's voice speak to me and some times, I heard Shunsui.**_

Once again, I sat there in the dark and listened to Suro's voice as he talked about some memories from when he was little.

I then felt this warm feeling speard through my chest, it felt almost like healing kidō.

But unlike the other times I've felt this feeling during the time I've been here, light started to spread around me and I guess it was a sign for me to leave.

I closed my eyes and when I opened them again, I saw two people stand above me, their faces blurry.

"Captain Ukitake, can you hear me?"

I focused on the one that was talking and once my vision got clearer, I saw that it was lieutenant Kotetsu.

"Lieutenant...Kotetsu..."

She smiled at me and removed an oxygen mask from my face.

"It's good to see you're finally awake captain"

"What...happened?"

My voice was hoarse and I coughed slightly as I felt how dry my throat was.

The other person, 3rd seat Iemura lifted my head a bit and held a glass to my mouth. I took a few sips of the water in it before he laid me down again.

"To answer your question captain, said Lieutenant Kotetsu

-We won the war"

"We did?"

"Yes. It's been three weeks since then and that's also how long you've been asleep"

"I've been asleep?"

"Yes. But that explaination can wait a bit"

She then looked towards the door before turning back to me.

"Lieutenant Ukitake is waiting outside and I'm sure he wants to see that you're awake"

"Suro is here?"

"He hasn't left your since once during the time you've been here and he's been very worried about you"

Hearing her say that made me feel horrible for worrying my own son.

"Could you please let him in?"

"Of course. As soon as we're done examining you"

 _ **Once they were done, the two left and when the door opened the next time, Suro came in. When he sat down next to my bed, I smiled at him.**_

 _ **He then told me everything that had happened. That he had let his emotions take over during battle, that he had unlocked his true Bankai and that it was thanks to him that I was alive.**_

"I've been here waiting for you to wake up since then"

He then looked away and I could see a few tears in his eyes.

"Suro look at me"

He turned his head towards me and I lifted my hand up to his face just as a tear slided down his cheek.

"I'm so sorry"

Suro placed his hand over mine before lifting it from his face before turning his palm upwards to hold it.

"Don't blame yourself dad. You did what you thought was the right thing to try and save the Soul King"

"Still, you're my son and seeing that look you had back there is something I never wanted to see.

-Seeing that pain in your eyes made my heart ache"

My son looked at me before slightly smiling as more tears slides down his cheeks and he hugged me.

I lifted one of my arms and placed it on his back to return the hug.

"I'm proud of you. My brave and strong Katsurou"

I meant every word with that. I've always been proud of my son and during this war, he had really shown how strong and brave he really is.

 _ **Shunsui came a while later and I was happy to see my best friend. The three of us talked for a while until I started to feel tired and fell asleep.**_

I woke up a few hours later and saw that Suro was sitting on the same spot as earlier but this time with a book.

"Did Shunsui leave?"

"Yes. He had to return to the 1st division.

-I also went to the 13th and told the others about you. They were happy to hear that you're okay"

The door then opened and in came 3rd seat Yamada carrying a tray.

"Lieutenant Kotetsu asked me to bring this. She thought you may be hungry captain"

"That's very kind of her"

He placed the tray on the table next to the bed before he bowed and left.

I tried sitting up but I fell back against the bed.

Suro placed his hand on my shoulder and helped me get up before placing a few pillows behind my back. The same thing he had always done during my ilness attacks.

Now when I think about it, even after he became a lieutenant, Suro would always take time from those busy days to check on me.

But now, he wouldn't have to worry about me or work too hard since with my illness cured, I would be able to do my duties as captain to the fullest.

 _ **My recovery was long and tough since the removal of Mimihagi and the fact that I had been asleep for three whole weeks had made me weak. In the beginning, I could only take a few steps before my legs giving up but it got better for each day.**_

 _ **Suro returned to his job as lieutenant which I was happy for. He needed to do other things than sitting around at the 4th all day and him returning to work was a good sign. He was finally letting go of the worry I've seen on him since the day I woke up.**_

 _ **He did show up around lunch time everyday, sometimes he came alone, sometimes he had Rukia with him and there was one time he had Shūhei with him.**_

I had been in the 4th for three months now and I was hoping that I soon would be able to leave. I was of course used to staying there for longer periods of time but not this long.

Lieutenant Kotetsu then came in along with Suro who seemed quite happy.

"Has something happened, I asked"

"Isane and I were just talking and she gave me some good news"

He then turned to his fellow lieutenant who slightly smiled.

"I'm glad to say captain that since you're able to walk without help and without your legs giving up, you can leave tomorrow"

I looked at her for a moment, taking in what she just had told me.

"Really?"

"Yes. You've recovered very well especially during the past days. So there's no need for you to stay here.

-Just take it easy for the first few days. Okay?"

"I will"

 _ **It felt good to be able to leave the next morning.**_

 _ **Suro took me to the 13th were everyone was happy to see me and later, we went home were all my siblings waited along with my nieces and nephews which was the greatest surprise ever.**_

 _ **I'm so grateful for what my son did. He saved my life when I and everyone else thought I wouldn't make it through the war.**_

 _ **Suro means so much to me, he's strong, smart and kind. I wouldn't be able to picture my life without him because if I had never adopted him, I wouldn't be alive right now.**_


	38. Extra 8 Sorrow and relief

_**When Urahara told us the Soul King was dead, I knew what was going to happen.**_

I watched as my father stepped forward, Haori falling to the ground and kosode falling off his shoulder to reveal the shadow looking things on his back.

He looked at me with sorrow in his eyes before drawing his sword, calling for the fallen god Mimihagi.

I wanted to stop him because I knew the risk but it was our only chance to save the Soul King.

We all watched as the shadows rose and took the form of a hand with a large eye on the back of it.

Father explained to the others that it was thanks to Mimihagi that he had survived this long.

Blood then came from his mouth.

"Captain, Rukia shouted"

She was about to run over to him but I held out my arm to stop her.

"Don't, I whispered"

The hand then rose towards the sky and it hurt deeply to hear the painful scream from my father.

"How long will he last, captain SoiFon asked.

-I don't think that Ukitake will become a complete substitute for the Soul King. This stability comes from consuming the rest of his life force. How much until then?"

"Captain..., said Omaeda"

"She's right, I told them"

Everyone turned to me and by the look Rukia gave me, I knew my eyes were showing my true emotions were I tried to stay strong and calm.

"Once his life force has fully been consumed by Mimihagi, the quaking is most likely to begin again. We don't have much time so we need to hurry and get to the Soul Palace"

Captain Kurotsuchi let us use a machine to fill in the missing reiatsu to create the gate.

But before we could leave, Mimihagi was forcefully ripped from my father's body and the sky got covered by something dark.

 _ **Sh**_ _ **ū**_ _ **hei and a few others went outside and when they returned, they had a few Quincies with them, one of them being Bazz-B who I had fought against for a short while.**_

While they helped the others rebuild the gate, I stepped aside and tried to gather myself.

I couldn't let the others see me as weak right now, I had to stay strong for a while longer.

But how could I?

My father, the man who had raised me as his own was gone.

 _"If this war never happened then my father wouldn't..."_

I heard footsteps come towards me and I looked up at Byakuya.

My childhood friend looked at me with sympathy in his eyes as he took me to the other side of the room.

"You okay Katsurou?"

"What do you think Byakuya... I just saw my father give his own life because of the Quincies killing the Soul King"

I knew Byakuya wouldn't judge me since I've known him for most of my life but I still tried to hold back the sorrow I felt in my heart.

"I know how you feel Katsurou. Remember that I too have lost my father"

"That was before you and I even meet. It's different since you were a kid back then"

It came out harsher than I wanted it and I felt bad for saying it like that.

Losing a parent as a kid is just as bad as losing them as an adult.

My friend then placed his hands on my shoulders and his grey eyes showed a kindness that I hadn't seen before.

"I know that my father's passing is different but still, the pain you're going through right now, I had to go through myself.

-I know it's not easy but..."

"Katsurou, captain Kuchiki it's time to go, Urahara said and waved at us to come over"

 _ **When we reached the palace, we began to run but I split up from the others when no one noticed.**_

I needed to be alone.

The sorrow built up inside me grew and turned slightly into frustration as well.

 **"Master you need to calm down"**

"How can I calm down when I just saw my father die because of what the Quincy leader did to the Soul King?!"

 **"MASTER! STOP AND LISTEN TO ME"**

I stopped running and Kuroi manifested in his wolf form before me.

He looked at me with sorrowful eyes before he placed his forehead against mine.

" **I'm really sorry about your father. He deserved a better end. But he did what he did to try and save the Soul King"**

That was it, I couldn't hold it back anymore.

Tears fell from my eyes as the events from just a moment ago sunk in.

My father was gone, dead because he had been willing to give his life to save the Soul King.

"I know, I said with a sob"

 **"Your father gave his life to save not only the Soul King but the entire Soul Society where everyone he cares about the most were, especially you.**

 **-See this as your chance to honor him. Defeat the Quincies and make him proud of the warrior and Soul Reaper you've become"**

Memories from when I was little came to my mind as he said that.

All the love my father had showed me since the day he adopted me, the pride in his eyes when I achieved a big goal like when I first showed him my Bankai.

I knew I would still have the rest of my family but losing my father was hard.

 _ **I ended up fighting a Quincy and with my new Bankai, I defeated him but I wasn't proud of myself.**_

I was taught to find peaceful ways to end conflicts but now due to anger and sorrow, my mind got clouded and I took the man's life.

Returning to the 12th division and seeing my father's lifeless body there made my heart ache.

But Kuroi then reminded me that there was a way to save him and hope filled me as I made my way over to my father.

I used a powerful Kidō spell to restore everything in his body but since I had so little energy left, I fell unconscious and for a week, I slept.

When I woke up, I was in the 4th and Isane was checking on me.

It was then my memories about what happened came back and I remembered my fahter.

"Isane how's my father? Is he..."

"Don't worry, he's gonna be okay. I don't know what you did back there but you saved his life"

Relief filled my chest as she told me that but worry took over when I saw the expression on her face.

"But he's unconscious and will probably be for a while"

"I see"

I was happy that my father was alive that he hadn't woken up worried me.

 _ **Isane told Iemura to take me to my father's room and there, I got to see by myself how his condition was.**_

He had an IV in his arm and a mask over his face to help him breath.

"The oxygen mask is just a precaution. His lungs are healthy but weak after what happened a week ago"

"I understand. Thank you Iemura"

He nodded at me and left.

I then turned to look at my father with hopeful eyes as his chest rose and fell with each breath.

He was okay, I told myself. My father was alive and will recover in time.

I grabbed his and as I held it, I could feel warmth which was a good sign that he would be healthier once he woke up.

His hands used to be slightly cold unless he had recently held a cup of tea.

"Dad, I don't know if you can hear me but I'm here and I'm so relieved that you are gonna be okay"

I just sat there, holding onto my father's hand until I fell asleep right there in the chair

 _ **I stayed by his side for the next weeks. I didn't want to leave out of fear that if I did, it would be like waking up from a dream and he wouldn't be there.**_

The fact that I nearly lost the person I cared the most about was still so fresh in my mind and it scared me.

Then one day couple of weeks later, Isane sent me out of the room and when I was allowed back in, joy filled my chest at seeing my father awake.

He looked up at me with tired eyes but he managed to give me that wark and kind smile he always gave people.

As I told him what had happened, I felt tears build up in my eyes at those terrible memories and I looked away.

"Suro look at me"

I looked at him and he lifted his hand to my cheek and wiped away a tear that slide down my face.

"I'm so sorry"

I mentally shook my head at that. My father had nothing to be sorry for so why did he apologize.

I lifted his hand off my face and held it.

"Don't blame yourself dad. You did what you thought was the right thing to try and save the Soul King"

"Still, you're my son and seeing that look you had in your eyes back there is something I never wanted to see.

-Seeing that pain in you made my heart ache"

So that's why he was sorry.

I smiled and more tears made their way down my face as I leaned closer to my father to hug hum.

As he placed one of his arms around me, he whispered.

"I'm proud of you. My brave and strong Katsurou"

I felt my smile widen and I tightened my grip just slightly and his hand found its way to the back of my head.

I had no words to explain my relief and happiness of having my father back but I believed this was enough for him to understand that.

 _ **Almost losing my father has to be the most terrible moment of my life. The sorrow in my heart was worse than anything I had ever felt.**_

 _ **But now, he was alive and cured from that darn illness at least. After over 2000 years of suffering, he could finally live a better and healthier life.**_

 _ **And nothing could make me happier.**_


End file.
